The Smell Before Rain
by TheWalk
Summary: Do people ever really fall out of love? Is it even possible to just stop loving someone? I never even thought he would turn that way. But more than that, I never thought I'd fall out of love myself.
1. The Concrete Girl

**The Smell Before Rain**

**Chapter One: The Concrete Girl**

* * *

"No" she smiled coyly; walking away quickly with Ginny. She grinned over her shoulder at the dumbstruck boy behind them who was laughing softly in disbelief. Hermione waved at him demurely and turned the corner.

"Can you believe it?" Ginny asked with a snort when he had disappeared from view "Malfoy wanted to buy you an ice-cream, what an oddity" she giggled. But she still looked over her shoulder in vain to catch a last glimpse of the boy.

"Honestly, where does he get off asking me to do anything? I know we're not _enemies_ or anything; at least not anymore. But I'm not his best friend either. And he knows I'm dating Ron" Hermione laughed pushing down her sunhat to compress her large hair. She smoothed her dress and removed Malfoy from her mind.

The June sun was scorching above as the two girls skipped down Diagon Alley in the sticky afternoon. Having their first taste of freedom after everything that had occurred. The war over, school finished, at least for Hermione, and a whole summer to enjoy themselves. The world was slowly rebuilding itself, unsteady on its feet and unsure of the peace around it. But hopeful for its longevity.

The wind blew softly lifting their light dresses and cooling their warm bodies. "I'm just ecstatic" Ginny sighed hooking her elbow with Hermione's. Hermione smiled happily at her friend, unable to hold back her own joy. She gazed fondly at the giant diamond on Ginny's finger.

"I would be ecstatic too" she grinned jabbing Ginny with her elbow, "With such a hopeful promise of marriage" she rolled her eyes.

"Hey! Harry tried really hard, he was just nervous, it happens" Ginny said defensively, pulling Hermione to a stop to glance in a store window.

"He fainted before he could even open the ring box Ginny. Our great hero is supposed to be scared of nothing, but only his girlfriend" Hermione giggled pressing her face to the glass, looking at all of the beautiful shoes. A pair of flat slouchy suede boots caught her eye. They were red.

Ginny snorted, "He got farther than Ron" she said braggingly.

Hermione just smiled, but said nothing. She didn't want to have this conversation right now.

"What no retaliation? A first from Hermione Granger" Ginny said with shocked smile, "Come on, what aren't you telling me?" she asked.

"Nothing" Hermione smiled again.

"Okay, I'll rephrase my question. What are you hiding from me?" Ginny said tapping her foot on the ground.

"Nothing" Hermione repeated unable to stop her frown. It did not go unnoticed by Ginny, she knew better.

"Don't fret Hermione" she sighed, "Ron's just like that. It takes him ten times what it takes Harry to say something. Come on, let's keep going, I want to see that dress. We need to be back by four anyway or mum will murder us" Ginny said grabbing Hermione's hand and leading her away from the shop window.

"Alright" Hermione said letting Ginny lead her away from the boots.

* * *

Draco wasn't sure what to think, all he could do was laugh. Granger sure was something, and she was still denying herself his presence. She'd come around, he would make sure. How many offers could she refuse?

He'd been asking her since seventh year, two and a half years of '_maybe's_' and '_we'll see's_'. He wasn't going to let her get away, and he surely wasn't going to lose her to Weasley.

A fallen Malfoy he may have been, but a Malfoy nonetheless and Malfoy's always got what their hearts desired. It was only a matter of time before Hermione Granger was running into his arms while he stood in a field of wheat.

* * *

"I'm fine Ron" Hermione laughed waving him away with her hand.

"Hermione you're drunk" he laughed along with the rest of the party. "Let me apparate you home please, I'd feel much better if you made it back safe" he said seriously holding her hand.

"Oh, all right" Hermione gave in running to grab her bag which was seated on her chair.

The garden was lit softly with little fairies, the group of friends having their first formal celebration of the end and the beginning. Harry handed Hermione her purse and took her drink smiling softly.

"Thanks Harry" she smiled.

"I'll see you tomorrow; we have to sign up for our courses in the morning, so please take something for your head. Otherwise tomorrow will be horrible" he said kindly.

"Harry, stop being the adult. That's my job" Hermione grinned. Harry just shrugged and smiled at Ginny.

"Bye guys!" Hermione called to everyone milling about. From the Weasley's, to Neville and Luna, even to Zabini; there were many people attending the Weasley feast.

"Ron I'm ready" Hermione said walking back over to him.

"Let's walk to the edge of the border" he said extending her his elbow. Hermione was beyond giddy; she took his elbow gratefully and let him lead her away.

As they walked out of the gate and towards the end of the protective field, Hermione felt her head clearing already. And a tight sensation griped her heart. Here she was walking with Ron, and yet nothing. He was holding her arm rigidly and staring straight ahead. It had been like this for the past three weeks. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she was too scared to ask. Ever since Harry proposed to Ginny; Ron had become odd, and distant, Hermione just couldn't figure it out.

Harry loved Ginny, anyone could see it. The way he touched her, looked at her, spoke to her. So lovingly. Hermione wanted that with Ron, but she sensed he wasn't feeling the same. She had always assumed he liked her, the way he acted. And the way that everyone assured her that he did.

They traipsed across the field, finally walking past the wheelbarrow which was the end of the charm. Ron stopped and took her hand gently, "ready?" he asked.

Hermione nodded. A loud snap, a tugging sensation and then they were standing outside of her parent's house in Sherwood Forest. "Thanks for apparating me home" Hermione said with a sigh, looking over Ron's shoulder and down her small suburban street. Dark and empty, dirty yellow light washing the paved streets.

"You're welcome" Ron said smiling awkwardly. Hermione waited for the routine, a moment of awkward silence, and then he would decide he needed to go. Ron was staring at her oddly; it was these moments where Hermione could not understand exactly how he felt. The way he was looking at her was making her warm and soft. But what was running through his mind?

Hermione stood on her toes and hugged Ron tightly. He returned the hug; she pulled back and searched his face for anything she could understand. There was very little. She moved forward, wondering if she should kiss him, what would he do. She moved closer yet, her lips almost on his. She counted the freckles on his nose with a smile and the forced her eyes to his. His blue eyes bore into hers, searching for something. What did he need? She moved even closer, her lips brushed his.

Ron turned his face away from her. Hermione choked back a startled sob. She kissed his cheek and let him go quickly. "See you tomorrow" she whispered in his direction before walking away into her house. She didn't look back, she couldn't let herself. And then something in her snapped, she turned on her heel and ran back to him.

"What is going on Ron?" she asked softly stopping right before him.

"What do you mean?" he asked; startled with her sudden return and her closeness.

"Why don't you look at me anymore, why don't you touch me, kiss me? What did I do?" she asked desperately.

"It's not what you did Hermione…" he sighed looking down the dark street "I've just been going through something…"

"What? What have you been going through? Tell me Ron. I can't read your mind, tell me, don't shut me out" she whispered reaching for him, he stepped back. Hermione felt as though she had been slapped. He wouldn't even let her touch him.

"Hermione, I've just been confused" he sighed running his hand through his hair and looking down at her.

"Confused? About…us?" she asked unsurely.

"I guess, confused about how I feel" he muttered pushing his hands in his pockets.

"How do you feel Ron?" Hermione asked angrily.

"Differently. Especially about you Hermione" he said honestly, but he was still unable to look her in the eye.

"Continue" Hermione said simply.

"I don't want to… anymore" he began unsurely "I mean, I just…It doesn't feel the same as it used to" he frowned; unable to place the words in the order he wanted them.

"What doesn't feel like it used to?" Hermione asked unsteadily. Her heart beat painfully in her chest, her fists clenching by her sides. Her heart was filled with cold dread.

"Us" he whispered, confirming her suspicions and causing her breathing to quicken. He continued "I don't feel the same about you. I don't feel anything when I touch you, or when you touch me, I don't think about you like I used to. Actually I rarely think about you when you're not around. I don't feel the warmth and comfort with you. I've lost that desire to chase you and to make you love me…"

"Because I already do" she whispered "I do love you Ron, fucking hell. I really do… I just don't understand how…"

"I fell out of love Hermione; I just don't love you anymore. And I don't know why, but I know that's how I feel" he spoke softly but surely.

"You don't?" she asked as her eyes stung with tears. She couldn't believe this, she couldn't understand it.

"I'm sorry, but I can't control things like that. One day I loved you with all of my life, but the next, it was just cold" he explained.

"And what about me now? I still love you…" she asked.

"I don't know Hermione, I can't tell you what you feel, but you'll figure it out" he promised stepping towards her. This time Hermione stepped back.

"I just can't believe this…" she turned away from him without another word. But before she even reached her front door, she heard the snap and knew he was gone. Her heart sunk with that inexplicable sense of total loss.

She entered her empty house and sat down in the kitchen. Wishing her mother was home, wishing she had someone to talk to. But her parents were still in Australia, trying to figure some things out. Hermione had visited them when Voldemort had been killed; they had been confused about what Hermione had done. And hurt, but they forgave her because they understood, and yet they decided to remain there until they were ready to return. But why weren't they ready? Hermione could feel that they were still hurt, and they didn't know how to approach their daughter anymore. She was so removed from them now.

Her mother would know what to do, what to tell her to make her feel better. Why would Ron turn away? How could he be so cold?

It was at that moment that she realized it wasn't going to be. Maybe never. Whatever Ron was feeling, she couldn't understand it. But she saw it before he even told her. She saw it in the way he distanced himself. He didn't feel anything for her. He might have before, but at this moment, there was not a single shred of love for her.

It wasn't there anymore. It just wasn't. And it hurt. How was she supposed to just let him go now? To remove him from her heart, where she had been keeping and building him for years. To rip it away and leave it missing. Could she? Did it work that way? Could she forget his soft red hair and deep azure eyes? His warm body and the way he smelled were all things she had engraved so deeply, scarred into her heart. Would it fade with time?

Would it ever come back? She doubted it; she could not see how he could ever love her again. He was sure in what he felt, he had just not wanted to hurt her. He was a coward.

Hermione dropped her bag on the counter and headed upstairs to sleep. She needed to leave it alone, and think about it in the morning. Her mind was not working at its maximum at the moment. All she could do was pray that when she woke up, this would all have been a dream.

She undressed, and showered, and brushed her teeth. Dressed in her pajamas and lay down in bed. Then she began to cry.

Was she supposed to feel so lost right now? Hurt, angry confused. She wanted to rip out Ron's heart and at the same time force him to love her. Why had he not told her earlier? Maybe they could have been saved? Why was he making it so hard on her, couldn't he see that she was throwing herself at him?

Even with all of these thoughts and questions running through her head, Hermione's heart was cooling. Hermione knew that when she woke up tomorrow morning, she would have already resolved to stop loving. She would turn cold and forget it all, move on and leave it in the past. Tomorrow morning the pain would be gone.

Was this heartbreak? Yes, it must have been.

* * *

A/N: New story! I know, I really should get to work on my others, but I will soon. I just couldn't resist. I watched 'City of Angels', "The Notebook", 'A Walk To Remember', and the list just goes on and on. It was a weekend of love, so I came up with a wonderful idea, and I just had to post it. This fic will be a little less dramatic and a lot more realistic. Honestly, what an odd thing to say when writing about witches and wizards? 


	2. Tread Softly When You Tread Upon Me

**Chapter Two**

**Tread Softly When You Tread Upon Me**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter. Only in my dreams.

* * *

Hermione woke at exactly five to eight. Her internal alarm never failing no matter how much of a shock it may have received. She pushed back her light covers and headed straight for the bathroom to empty her bladder. Her body went into shock as her feet hit the cold wood; waking her instantly. She had a pounding sensation in her head, but surprisingly her mind was crystal clear. She remembered everything from last night. So it wasn't going to just be a bad dream after all; that suited her just fine. After relieving her bladder she went to work on the rest of her body, choosing to hold off her thoughts for just a few minuets more. She brushed her teeth and combed her hair. She placed the brush down by the sink and opened the floodgates in her mind.

So she and Ron were kaput. Would Harry know by now? Would the whole Weasley clan? Probably. She didn't doubt that Ron would have immediately told Harry, and then Harry would have told Ginny. Within hours everyone would know. Deeming herself fit for public she left the bathroom to get dressed. She wasn't sure how she felt. She knew she should have felt something…pain, hurt? No, all she felt was anger. Anger that on had lied to her, but she didn't know how to feel about the fact that he no longer loved her. Was she supposed to feel anything? Hermione groaned and pulled her shirt on over her head; suffocated. That was how she felt. She wanted to feel something so badly, like she had last night. And yet her whole life seemed to be a bland expanse of canvas. To put it poetically.

Last night she had been so frayed, and it seemed like her whole world had come down to her feet in splinters and fire. It had been the last thing she had ever been expecting. She had known Ron was a little tougher to crack, but Hermione never considered that she was the problem. And yet, none of this bothered her this morning. Just anger; it bubbled in her stomach unpleasantly.

She pulled on her jeans and headed downstairs, she had to be at the ministry by ten. She wasn't sure she even wanted to go anymore. To have to see Ron might push her over the edge, she didn't scream at him nearly as much as she had wanted to the night before. Shock had rendered her speechless. Lucky him; he had managed to escape her wrath.

What would Ron do today? And how would Harry react? Harry would most likely be sympathetic and unsure of what to say, so he would avoid her and Ron as much as possible. As he usually did when she and Ron fought. But this time it was more than a dispute. It was an ending.

It was just that; the ending of an era. She and Ron were done. Technically she and Ron had never really been, but she had assumed they would have been eventually and so had everyone else…

Another thought struck her like a heavy rock to the head. It caused her to stagger with sickening realization. If she wasn't so upset; did that mean she hadn't really loved Ron as much as she thought she had? Hermione had seen enough love and heartbreak movies to understand what it was to lose someone you loved. But she was not devastated. So what? Had she been lying to herself? Very possible; she and Ron had probably both been lying to themselves to suit the needs of others… but no, she had felt love. But she had not loved Ron; in fact, Ron really wasn't a bother to her after all. It seemed Ron was replaceable. She had only loved the idea.

Classic, typical and totally plausible. The idea of having someone with her, the idea of having what Harry and Ginny had was what she desired. It had so little to do with Ron and so much more with desire for a companion. How else could she explain such a loss of emotion? All she wanted was someone to love her as much as she could love them. In a sense, she must have loved Ron. But the realization that he wasn't ready to return it to her…that left her shut off. End of story. New book.

* * *

"Hey Harry" Hermione sighed with a small smile walking up to him in the huge hall filled with potential students. Little kiosks stood all around with professions accepting students. Students were walking around with souvenirs and pamphlets, excitedly talking with one another. Hermione wanted to be them so desperately.

"Hey" Harry replied quietly looking at his feet. He looked back up with a small smile; "Got anything in mind?" he asked looking around.

"Yeah" Hermione replied wondering where Ron had gone to.

"Ron's still filling his auror training application form" Harry said reading her mind and motioning somewhere to the far left. Hermione could not see him.

"You done?" she asked.

"Yeah, it didn't take me too long, I have all of my required courses, I'm not sure about Ron" Harry said with a shrug. Hermione chuckled wryly; it served Ron just right. "So what are you going to sign up for?" Harry asked changing the awkward topic. He knew.

"Healing" Hermione said simply. She had decided this that morning. Her whole life she had only wanted to be an auror, but now she wasn't so sure. She didn't hate Ron, and especially not Harry. But after everything that had occurred in the past few years. She needed a new leg, another opportunity to create something on her own without them. And being a Healer seemed like a respectable and gratifying job to Hermione.

"Wow, I thought you'd want to be in the auror business like us" Harry said with mild surprise.

"Yeah, I changed my mind" Hermione sighed looking around; she spotted Ron heading to them with a girl. "Listen Harry, I'm going to go get my application done. I'll probably see you at dinner at the Weasley's. Tell Ron I said hi" she said squeezing Harry's hand and heading in the opposite direction to her own booth.

She walked quickly and breathed deeply in an attempt to calm herself. It was one thing thinking she was fine, but it was something completely different when she was faced with her problem. The hurt was back and that was all it took. A single look at Ron and here she was in pieces again. He had looked so good; he was smiling and walking with Padma Patil. It didn't mean anything. They were friends and it was not her place to assume anything. Nothing. Besides, even if they did like one another it still wasn't her place to do anything. But there was the prize winning question. Did Ron already know? Was he completely aware of his feelings for someone else before he broke up with her? It didn't have to be Padma, but did he think of another girl when she only had eyes for him? She didn't even want to know.

She walked over to her booth and aggressively slammed her hand down on the counter startling the lady behind. "I need an application" she said coldly; her voice wavering with sudden anger.

"Here you are dear" the woman said kindly but warily. The mood Hermione was giving off was threatening and dark. Hermione snatched away the application and looked around for somewhere to fill it out. She saw a group of chairs behind the both with other prospective students.

She pushed past all of the other kids with application and dropped herself heavily into an empty chair; mumbling irritably all the while. She fumbled in her purse looking for a pen, "Fucking hell, what is it with today?" she grumbled unable to find one. If she had to get up and ask for a pen she would lose her seat and there were people waiting around for someone to get up.

"Pen?"

"Yes, thank you very much" Hermione said taking the pen that had appeared in her line of vision. She turned to see who was offering it; when she saw who it was she almost dropped the pen. "Thank you" she said evenly; her eyes raking Malfoy with a dissecting feel.

"You're welcome" he said simply looking back to his application.

If he wasn't going to say anything Hermione would definitely not be the first one. She looked back to her paper and began to fill it out. Number of OWLS, which ones…extracurricular, sports…none. And so it went on. Finally when she had managed to sign her name at the bottom she looked up. Her neck strained with the stretch. She had been writing for half an hour. How on earth did Harry and Ron manage to finish so quickly? She looked over her application making sure she had set the right impression upon the paper and pleased with what she had written she turned to her left. Only to find another boy in Malfoy's place.

"Ahh" she said softly looking around for a familiar pale head. Nowhere to be seen. Well, she had a new pen now and a really nice one too. It seemed everything needed to be fine with the Malfoy's, even their muggle things. She threw the pen into her bag and stood to go hand in her application. She was tempted to perhaps fill out another one, maybe for some work in the ministry. Just in case she didn't get in. But her brain laughed at her; of course she would get it. Hermione gave her application to the elderly lady remembering to smile at her this time and then tried to decide what to do next. The lady handed Hermione a stack of pamphlets all drawn together with string.

She was sure Harry and Ron were long gone. They had shown up far earlier than ten and had both had their papers already. She had met Harry at five after. It would have been impossible for them to have finished their applications so fast, and auror applications at that. She frowned and looked around, unsure of what to do. She didn't feel like going home, she had nothing there to do. And she did not want to go to the Weasley's.

Diagon Alley it seemed. She made her way out of the crowded ruckus and headed to the apparition hall. She might as well have taken a walk, cleared her head. Shopped a little. She wanted something to read while she waited to see if she was accepted into training. She stood in line and waited patiently as one by one wizards and witches stood in the drawn circle and apparated. She finally made her way into the circle and apparated herself to Diagon Alley without another thought of her friends.

* * *

Hermione appeared right in front of Gringots surprising a mother and her child. "Sorry" Hermione said sheepishly watching the angry mother push her carriage away. She sighed and began to walk down the street. Flourish and Blots was calling her. She walked slowly enjoying the bright sun and its warmness. Summer was wonderful, after such a long winter. She had forgotten what it was to be warm after last year. Sleeping in holes in the dead of winter were not the healthiest or warmest times of her life.

She skipped across the cobblestoned street thinking about yesterday. Just yesterday she and Ginny had been running around the street laughing and teasing one another. Today she didn't feel like it. It would have suited Hermione just fine to never have to see another Weasley in her life again. She was hungry. For something sweet… ice-cream. That was definitely what she wanted. A large strawberry cheesecake cone with nuts sprinkled on top…she crossed the street to Purcell's. Starving for that cool sensation in her mouth.

She walked into the patio area and got into line behind a man and his child. She frowned at the two. The man looked awfully young, only a few years older than her, and he was holding the hand of a two year old boy who was speaking animatedly about something. The man laughed at the small child and picked him up into his arms giving him a loud smacking kiss on his cheek. Hermione's heart melted. Someday she wanted that; she would be the woman with the camera trying to get them to look at her so they could send a nice picture to grandma. She could already see it perfectly in her mind.

"What can I get you Miss?" the older wizard with the nametag Pete asked her. She barely noticed the line had moved up. Her thoughts so deep barely anything could penetrate them.

"A strawberry cheesecake almond cone, two scoops please, and can I get walnuts on top please?" Hermione asked sweetly digging in her purse for change.

Her gallons were all sliding along the bottom of her bag; she wished she had put her change in her purse. "Here you are Miss, a gallon and six knuts please" Pete said handing her the cone.

"Just a moment" Hermione said in a fluster taking the cone and grabbing her change handing it to him. Another arm pushed hers down and handed Pete two gallons.

"My treat, keep the change"

Hermione dropped her arm to her side and frowned at Draco Malfoy. "You practically give me your pen and then you buy me ice-cream?" she asked in amusement throwing her loose change back into her purse.

"Oh, I never gave you my pen to keep" he smiled sweetly, "I should like it back please".

"Well, thank you for the ice-cream. Come here, I have to find it in my purse" Hermione mumbled walking over to a bench and placing her purse on the table. She rummaged in it with one hand and ate her ice-cream with her other hand. She finally pulled out the nice fountain pen and handed it to him. "There you are" she smiled in a friendly tone.

"Thank you" he said pocketing it. "You know I promised you that ice-cream yesterday" he said casually.

"You did, and now you've lived up to it" Hermione said warily; the situation was turning awkward.

"What are you doing right now?" he asked with a squint; the sunlight bouncing off his slightly less pale face.

"Heading to Flourish" Hermione said smiling at him. The look on his face was funny, his eyes almost shut, his nose crinkled and lips pursed. She hadn't really talked to him in three weeks. That was when they had all split up for the final battle. She had conversed with him a little at the victory feast at Hogwarts. But that was the extent of the communication.

"I'm headed that way too, I'm looking to get my training books" he said bouncing on the balls of his feet. Hermione noted his attire. It wasn't much different than hers. Ripped jeans, Keds and a plain shirt made up his unusual uniform. What happened to the flawlessly dressed Malfoy? Gone, long gone it seemed.

"Bit cocky are we?" Hermione said with a smirk.

Draco shrugged; he knew he would get in. And who was Granger kidding; she must have been sure she had been accepted too. They were the best students in their year; they were sure shots for anything. "I thought you'd go into Auror Training with Potter and the weasel" Draco said conversationally beginning to walk down the street as Hermione walked beside him.

"I changed my mind. But I thought the same about you" she said licking her ice-cream cone. Equally as surprised that Malfoy was interested in becoming a healer. She always thought he would be more interested in blasting people apart.

"I'm not that violent" he said reading her mind. "I talk big, but I'm really not that keen on hostility. I'm a lover not a fighter" he said with a smile looking straight at the sun and squinting again.

Hermione snorted and almost dropped her ice-cream. "Alright, well. When I see you cuddling small children, saving an injured kitten and perhaps crying over a patient I'll fully believe you" Hermione said.

Draco shrugged again, "You don't know everything about everyone Granger" he said in a hurt tone.

"I never implied that I did" she retaliated.

"Well, you assumed that I'm cold-hearted" he replied calling her out.

Hermione was so surprised that she didn't notice her ice-cream had begun to run down her hands in a sticky mess. "Well, seven years of school haven't taught me much else" she replied with a sigh. Feeling the awkwardness return, they could never escape this conversation, no matter how many times they talked about it. And they had talked about it a lot last year.

"I was a kid. You were a bitchy bookworm. Things change, at least I hope" he said giving her a meaningful look.

Hermione licked her cone feverishly, at a loss for words. She had no idea how to even reply to what he had told her. She hadn't assumed he would be scrutinizing her right now. "Fine, things change. You can be a sweetheart, one day you'll sweet me off my feet with your charm" Hermione muttered rolling her eyes.

"Careful what you wish for" Draco smiled as they crossed the street. He was watching Hermione eat her cone from the corner of his eye. She was amusing to say the least. She had a system for everything, even eating ice-cream. She licked around the sides carefully so that none would drip, and then she would just stick the top into her mouth. And then over again. Captivating really.

"You always have to get the last word don't you? That kills your likability right there" Hermione said pointedly finishing off her cone in record time and attempting to clean her sticky hands with a dry napkin.

Draco just smiled to himself and did not reply. He was playing her game well. He knew very well what would come next. And even though he was sure Hermione would not be pleased with him, he couldn't help but play with her. It was made her so fun, especially in the last year.

"What now you're just not going to talk to me?" she asked incredulously after only ten seconds of silence.

"I was just disproving your point. I can let someone else have the last word" he said trying to not smirk at her.

Hermione grumbled. "You haven't become any less annoying at all. Just better at hiding it" she frowned, but he could sense the amusement in her voice.

He shrugged.

"You shrug a lot. Since when have you been at a loss for words?" Hermione laughed as Draco opened the door for her. She walked into the clutter and dangerous stacks of books piled meters high.

"I like to hear you talk" he said honestly walking in after her.

"Don't tease. I know I talk a lot" Hermione frowned. People never changed in her opinion. Just because Malfoy was slightly more bearable didn't make him any better than he was before. Not where it mattered.

"I'm not teasing. Does Weasley tell you that you talk a lot, or is it Potter?" Draco asked casually following her deeper into the maze of bookshelves. He didn't really care much for where they were headed; he was just enjoying her company.

"Neither" she said with uncalled for anger.

"Right, sorry to have the last word, but did I make you angry?" he asked unsurely. She had snapped quite quickly at him. He knew he wasn't the easiest person to be around, but that tone was unnecessary.

"It's not you who made me angry" she said with a sneer. Always about him, self-centered, egotistical, asshole.

"Ah…" he said knowledgably.

"What? You can't just say 'ah' and not continue. Spit it out" Hermione said heading down an aisle full of large volumes collecting dust. Clearly a collection that was not on a bestsellers list.

"Is it Weasley? I know he can be a bit of a douche at times. And since it's not me who made you angry, clearly he is next in line for idiocy" Draco reasoned with a silly smile. He knew he was right.

Hermione stopped walking, he almost slammed into her.

"Who told you?" she asked rounding on him. Her eyes were blazing with fire and her hair was almost standing on end. Last time she had been this angry with him she had hexed him out of a room. He didn't even know what to say…

"Erg…"

"Who told you?"

"Told me what?" he asked in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about" he frowned. She would kill him because he had no idea what she was talking about. He was sorry for not paying attention to what she had said a few minuets ago. Already this whole thing was going down the drain.

"Never mind then" she said turning back around curtly.

"Wait, you can't just say 'never mind' and not continue. Spit it out" he said repeating her very words. He grabbed her elbow and pulled her round. Hermione swatted his hand away.

"I don't have to tell you jack shit" she muttered bitterly. He could sense some underlying tension around her.

"No, but if you want I'll listen" Draco said so earnestly that she almost melted.

"Would you?" Hermione asked seriously.

"I will" Draco assured her.

"Alright, I…" but here Hermione faltered. Could she really tell him? In a sense she trusted Malfoy even though she didn't particularly like him. He had proved his trust to her so many times over the past year. They had worked together; he had saved her ass a few times. But this was different.

He might ridicule her. Jeer and laugh at her situation; it might not even matter to him. But he did say he would listen. If what came from her mouth didn't matter to him he wouldn't have even asked her to tell him. Right?

"Granger you can tell me, whatever it is I promised to listen. If you want my advice I'll only give it to you upon your request" he said shoving his hands in his pockets and waiting.

"Ron broke up with me" she said evenly her eyes daring him to say something.

His reaction was not what she expected. He smiled widely. "Argh" she cried out "I knew you would make fun!" She tried to walk past him but he stopped her suddenly with a single hand on her shoulder. Hermione felt like she had run into a brick wall.

"I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing at him. The cretin gave you up? He'll regret that soon enough" Draco laughed his hand still on her shoulder. He sent warm jolts through her with his laughter. Hermione felt a tad better about the humor Malfoy seemed to find in the situation. Because she sure had not seen anything funny about it.

"You mean what you say?" Hermione said warily. She didn't want to be yanked around by him. If he was willing to be nice, she would be civil too.

"Granger, give me a break. You're clever, polite, and positively delightful; you have these things going for you. Sure he found some girl who's probably going to give him the satisfaction he wants right now. But in the long run she'll leave him for the same reason he probably left you" Draco explained knowledgably.

"I don't know about that" Hermione said sucking in a sharp breath. She was teetering on the edge of blowing up again. Settle down girl.

"Oh please; you two had a row and broke up, those things happen all of the time" Draco said waving it off. He did not see what was so dramatic about the situation. And he did not want her to be too upset about it, but he didn't want her going back to Weasley either. Now that she was free he wanted a chance himself.

"It's not exactly like that" Hermione grimaced painfully.

"What is it like?" he asked with raised brows. So there was an actual reason to this whole thing? Not just teenage anger?

"Ron broke it off it me because he…well…he fell out of love" Hermione finished weakly. Then she let her head drop and she stared at her shoes waiting for Malfoy to laugh. No sound came from him though. When she looked back up he was still staring at her in awe.

"Wow, you guys were in love? I thought it was just a regular type thing…" he frowned then crossed his arms. He looked skeptical about something. Hermione began to worry he would laugh again.

"Did you love him?" he asked suddenly. Hermione was painfully aware of the look Malfoy was giving her. It was so odd and she couldn't understand what was going through his mind. Perhaps a mixture of disbelief, disgust, and a little bit of anger. Was he mad at her?

"I don't know" Hermione stuttered. She was shocked at his outright question. It was not a polite thing to ask her. In fact it was downright rude of him.

"You don't know?" he smirked. The weird expression sliding from his face like water to be replaced with something Hermione knew very well.

"You're not being very nice, stop trying to rattle my damn cage" she said turning away and continuing down the aisle. She regretted saying anything to him. He would have found out anyway. What was the point of hearing her side of the story? Why was she being so damn needy all of the sudden. And why was she even talking to Malfoy? Why? She didn't need to be friends with him. She just needed to be courteous. That was all that was required of her; technically she was going above and beyond.

"I never said I'd be nice, and I'm really not trying to make a fool of you. I promised to listen" Draco said simply following her into the musky row of books. He let his fingers fly across the spines creating a soft tapping sound. She was terribly edgy around him. It seemed that her hatred for him had never really died. It was still there in the pit of her stomach, just aching to snap at him. To pull the trigger and run. He was walking a fine line.

"I know" Hermione said bluntly. She stopped and turned to her right pulling out a dark blue book. The gold gilding was barely visible, age had destroyed it. He came up next to her and looked over her shoulder at the book. Hermione opened it to a random page and immediately snapped it shut causing a cloud of dust to hit Draco in the face. She snorted.

"What was that for?" Draco asked having missed whatever was on the page.

"Oh, nothing" Hermione said placing the book back. Draco's hand flew for hers grabbing the book before she could replace it. "Trust me, you probably don't want to see what it was" she said seriously but he could see her lip twitch just slightly.

"I think I'll decide for myself" he said jerking the book out of her fingers. He turned it over in his hands looking for a title, but there was nothing. "What page?" he asked trying to remove some of the dust from the cover.

"Three fifty eight" Hermione said smiling. She was trying to not laugh. It would be much more amusing to see Malfoy flabbergasted.

He gave her an odd look and began to flip through the book. "Wow" he said coming to the right page. He squinted and turned the book horizontally. "Is that physically possible?" he asked with wide eyes.

"Well anything's possible with magic. And stop looking at it like that" Hermione smiled wryly pulling the book away from his face.

Draco grimaced, "Disgusting…what did they do?" he mumbled running his finger along the page and searching for the information. He began to laugh loudly, "Oh man. She used a Hermaphroditus potion on him, but she never factored in that he might be wiling. So they only half joined, and physically too. And in the most awkward place. They were probably having sex when it took effect" Draco snorted. Hermione couldn't help but giggle herself. "Talk about an unstable potion" he muttered.

"Hence why love potions should never be used. They are extremely dangerous and just not worth it" she preached taking the book out of his hands and placing it back on the shelf.

"Isn't that how you got Krum?" Draco joked. Hermione did not find it funny in the least. Her eyes flashed angrily at him.

"No it is not" she said coolly. She had suffered enough ridicule because of it and she didn't need to hear any more from Malfoy.

"I was just joking Granger. I know love potions would be unnecessary for someone like you" he smiled walking back towards the end of the aisle. He could hear her following him.

"I'd ask what you mean by that, but I'm afraid to know" Hermione muttered quietly assuming it was another one of his tasteless jokes.

Draco didn't reply. He was tired of these books. The only reason he really was here was so that he could get some time with Hermione. He didn't need any books. Not yet anyway.

He wanted to ask her. But he didn't know if he could. In fact he was almost a hundred percent sure she would say no. Because of Weasley she probably felt tired of guys; hell she probably hated males altogether. He would have to phrase it carefully. So as to not scare her away.

"Hermione?" he said turning towards her just as they reached the main part of the store again.

"Yeah?" she asked partially distracted. Her eyes were still roaming over spines carefully, as though the correct book would show itself to her. Fly from the case and strike her right in the face screaming "Read Me!"

"I was wondering…" he began.

"Wow, that's something amazing in itself" Hermione smiled picking up another book.

"Just shut it woman and let me say what I need to" he snapped smacking the book out of her hands and onto the ground. It hit hard and left a resounding echo panging through the store. A few people looked their way.

Hermione crossed and arms and turned to Malfoy, "Well you have all of my attention now" she said with a smirk.

He was second guessing himself now. The girl was infuriating. Was she really worth it? Well she might have been if only for the looks on Potter's and Weasley's faces. He cleared his throat and stepped towards her. For the first time noticing that there were more than a few inches of height difference between them.

Hermione was waiting, he could see in on her impatient face. "You know that ball on Saturday for members of the order and all of that crap?" he asked casually.

"Why yes I do" Hermione said with a smile. He could sense that she was teasing him. Making him draw it out, wanting to watch him squirm before her like a worm.

"Go with me" Draco said flashing her his bright smile. The no-fail.

"With you?" Hermione repeated with a wider smile.

"As my date" he clarified.

"As an actual date or a friend date?" she asked.

"What do you find to be the difference?" he frowned. Unsure of what direction he should be headed in. He would let her decided for now.

"Well if I go as your friend date I am not required to try. So no fancy cloths, no done up hair, no staying by your side the whole night, and no goodnight kiss" she elucidated.

"I guess that means you'll have to be my actual date then" he grinned feeling an odd heat in his cheeks.

"Okay" Hermione said simply turning from him and heading to the door. He followed her like a dog.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm caking on the fluff for a few mor chapters before the plot kicks in. And then I can assure that all of you readers will hate my guts. Lol. 


	3. Hit a Wall, Look Up to the Sky

**Chapter Three**

**Hit a Wall, Look for the Sky**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

"I can apparate myself home just fine Malfoy, besides, I prefer to take the metro anyway"

"I know you can get home fine, but I just want you to be careful. It's dark there are strange men walking the streets, you could get hurt you know?" he listed off as he followed her into the leaky cauldron.

"Creepy men…rings a bell. Men like you?" Hermione asked in irritation. She nodded to Tom and continued towards the back alley.

"Firstly, I am not a man, I am a young innocent boy" to which Hermione snorted "and secondly please let me apparate you home" Draco pleaded with her.

"I will not be inviting you in, just so you know" Hermione said turning on him. Draco took her words seriously, even though her face was soft. He knew she meant what she said.

"I don't ask to be. But I just want to make sure that I will still have a date for the ball. That is all; I am simply protecting my property-"he was cut off.

"PROPERTY?" Hermione said in outrage. She jabbed a finger right into Malfoy's chest and backed him up against the garbage cans simply with the look on her face, "Listen to me ferret boy, as nice as you've been lately. I am NOT property. I am a lady and am to be treated as such" Hermione continued on in her rant "And if you will not treat me as such then you will receive no kindness from me!"

"You're already living up to that promise" he smiled sweetly.

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. "This is what you do right? Rattle my cage, get me riled up and then make a fool of me" she frowned. Malfoy as still smiling at her; how juvenile. But cute, he looked really cute. Like a little boy caught doing something wrong.

"Exactly, I didn't mean the property thing" Draco smiled "Now let me apparate you home" he asked seriously reaching for her hand.

"How you do know where I live?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"Hello? Who dragged you out of your house just before it was raided by deatheaters?" he asked rolling his eyes.

"Okay, fine. You can apparate me home. But that's it" Hermione said simply.

"What makes you think I'd want anything more?" Draco asked with a sneer.

He was doing it again. Just looking to get her heated and angry. He just loved the look on her face when she was in disagreement. It was funny as hell.

Hermione's face still fell nonetheless. "No, I suppose you wouldn't want more. Why are you asking me to the ball again?" she repeated coolly. She was really looking for a rebound it seemed. Settling for Malfoy? That was untrue, it seemed like he was settling for her rather. He had fed her some pretty bullshit about how he liked her and he wanted to really get to know her and blah blah blah. But she didn't know that it was true. And yet, it didn't really seem to matter did it? She wanted to have some fun, just because her non-existent relationship with Ron had ended did not mean she had to hole herself up at home and cry. Hermione Granger was not much of a crier.

"I invited you because you are nice, and I like you. And you will make for an interesting dinner companion so I will not have to stab my brains out with my salad fork" Draco grinned.

Hermione frowned at him, and then smiled back, "Oh, well…when you put it that way" she gushed bogusly.

Draco grabbed her elbow, "Come on Granger" he said pulling her out in-between the bricks.

"Oh no, I will be apparating, I hate it when I get pulled along-"

"-side" Hermione groaned as they appeared in front of her house.

"You okay?" Draco asked putting a hand on her back.

"Yeah, fine. Thank you very much" she said moving away from him. Her stomach churned unpleasantly, she hated side-along apparition, it always left her feel queasy.

"So" he said awkwardly.

"Goodnight!" Hermione said a little too happily. She hadn't meant it to sound that way! She wanted to sound confident, not retarded! "I mean, goodnight" she said a little more soberly.

Draco chuckled at her, "Goodnight Granger" he said giving her a sweeping bow. Hermione felt as though her breath was knocked out of her lungs. "I'll watch you until you get in" he added with a small smirk.

"I feel so safe" Hermione said but she was unable to conjure any sarcasm so it sounded oddly serious. Malfoy gave her a raised brow but didn't question her. Instead her stood at her gate and waited for her to walk inside.

Hermione kept waiting to hear the crack of his disappearance. But it was not until she was safely inside and her door was locked did she see Malfoy apparate away through the door glass. She let out the breath she had been holding. He had waited after all.

* * *

"He said what?" Ginny asked in shock clapping her hands over her mouth.

Hermione simply shrugged. She was over Ron. Well…at least that was what she was telling herself. It was working anyway.

"That prat!" Ginny said in outrage.

Hermione just licked her cone silently and enjoyed the beautiful weather. She leant back on her elbows and overlooked the wide Weasley fields. The guys were playing Quidditch not too far off. Hermione could hear their heated yelling.

"It happens Ginny" Hermione said calmly.

"I can't believe you are being so damn calm about this" Ginny frowned, "That idiot led you on for years, for years he tried to ask you…and then when you turn to accept him he decides he's done waiting? Idiotic" Ginny muttered angrily.

"He fell out of love. I can't change that, nor can I refute it. If that is how Ron feels then…it's his liability to do so" Hermione said simply.

"You've gotten over him pretty fast" Ginny said skeptically.

"Don't be daft Gin; I'm not over Ron by a long shot. I just don't see why I should wallow over the situation. It can't be helped or fixed. It is what it is and my tears will not change it" Hermione sighed resignedly.

Ginny nodded and attacked her own melting ice-cream. "It's all a little depressing though, I always thought you and Ron would be wonderful, and I always dreamt of you being a part of the family. A sister" Ginny frowned.

"Ginny, I will always be your older sister; we don't have to be legally related. But we've been through so much together. Whether Ron and I ever end up together or not is irrelevant. I will always be here for you" Hermione smiled reassuringly.

"And I for you" Ginny replied "I just wish I knew what was going through his head. You know last month he was seriously considering proposing to you. Even though you haven't gone on a single date yet. I was telling him to stop being so dippy and to get his wanker in order and ask you to dinner first. He really felt it" Ginny sighed.

"Really?" Hermione asked in interest.

"Yeah, you two know each other better than anyone else. And I know Ron still loves you as you him, which will never change. But I'm just wondering what made him cool off so fast. It's very odd… Harry and I didn't notice any change in him. It's terribly sudden. What I'm getting at is…I guess if I saw it coming it wouldn't hurt me as much. If I knew why Ron doesn't feel the same I might accept it. But the fact that it was so arbitrary and abnormal scares me" Ginny admitted.

"I'm sure I'd feel better if I knew why too. But the heart needs no reasons, if Ron knows what he feels that's fine with me. Besides we are young, we should get out and experience other things. And eventually if Ron and I are meant to be, then we will. Simple as that right?" Hermione smiled "No point talking about it. Everything will fall into place eventually" Hermione concluded.

Ginny nodded, "Whatever you say Hermione. After all, it will be his loss".

"Yeah" Hermione sighed sucking on her cone.

"So…the ball…who are you going to go with now that Ron isn't all that into you" Ginny said with an ugly face.

"I wasn't aware that Ron and I were going together in the first place" Hermione laughed.

"We all just assumed" Ginny shrugged.

"I don't know really, I have an offer…but…I might be tempted to turn back on it" Hermione frowned; she lay back completely on the grass and covered her eyes with her arm.

"Who?" Ginny asked sitting up and staring at Hermione in utter shock.

"Maifloy" Hermione mumbled under her breath.

"Didn't catch that, sorry" Ginny said.

Hermione cleared her throat, "Malfoy" she said plainly. Then she waited.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS? MALFOY ASKED YOU TO THE DAMN BALL?" Ginny screamed. Hermione sat up at glared at her.

"Ginny, shut it. I'm sure they guys can hear you from this far away" Hermione moaned. "Besides, I'm retracting my yes so what does it matter?" she asked quickly.

"You can't do that! You have to go now!" Ginny pouted, "Ohh that would show Ron up! If you showed up with Malfoy…" Ginny had a gleam in her eyes that was causing Hermione to become uncomfortable.

"Ginny, he asked me because he's nice. And if I do decide to go with him it will not be to one-up Ron" Hermione said simply.

Ginny ignored her, "It will be great" she sighed "besides, when did Malfoy become nice?"

"He was nice to me all last year, even though we didn't see much of each other. He's changed; he's different now, kinder. I think his mom is finally rubbing off on him" Hermione laughed.

"Oh, you will be the star of the ball… Malfoy is tasty and he will be your lollipop" Ginny giggled.

"Gross Gin, honestly" Hermione said seriously "I don't think about him that way. Actually I don't think I've ever thought about anyone in such a manner" Hermione pondered.

"Not even Ron?" Ginny asked mouth agape.

"No, not even Ron" Hermione admitted, "Maybe that was lacking in our non-existant relationship, the sexual flair!" Hermione snorted. Ginny just grimaced and stuck out her tongue.

"Sex and Ron are two words which I never want to hear together" Ginny shuddered, "Nasty".

Hermione had stopped laughing and was now staring out into the field. She felt happy. Regardless of the fact that Ron didn't love her, regardless of the fact that she didn't know where to go next…Hermione felt happy. The cornflower blue sky and the deep green scattered below was enough for her.

"So what made you say yes?" Ginny asked.

Hermione considered her question, "His honesty. His complete honesty made me say yes. He didn't sugarcoat anything, no pick-up lines he just said it".

"What's _it_?" Ginny asked.

"He said he liked me, simple as that, he wanted to get to know me. He plainly said he was interested and that was enough for me. No frills, just honesty" Hermione said softly.

"Honesty, something I wouldn't expect to come from Malfoy's mouth" Ginny replied seriously. They sat silent in thought for a few minutes. Only the sound of the wind and their breathing in the air surrounding them.

Hermione shrugged, "Besides, I didn't really have a reason to say no, it wasn't like I had a date anyway. Why sit at home alone?" Hermione said more to herself than to Ginny.

"When you hit a wall, look up to the sky" Ginny smiled laying back with her friend.


	4. Mum's the Word

**Chapter Four: ****Mum's the Word**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter.

**A/N:** So... the plot had barely even begun believe it or not. All of this is still background information and will be so for the next few chapters. This one is going to be an epic biggy. Once I get all of the relationship stuff out of the way then we'll begin to see the storyline. If you readers would like a longer plot, check out my author page. It should be on there. The tiny description space they give when you create a story does not do a fic justice. Thanks for reading, please review if you can!

* * *

Thursday rolled around and Hermione was to be found sitting at her kitchen bar with parchment and a quill between her fingers. She wrote slowly and unsurely. She wrote down what was going on, what courses she had enrolled into, and that she hoped her parents were doing fine. Then she hesitantly signed it, 'love Hermione'.

Hermione rolled up her parchment and sealed it with her wand; she would send it later when she went to the post. But for now she was contemplating dinner at the Weasley residence. Mrs. Weasley had sent her an owl early in the morning telling Hermione to come over for her beef stew. Hermione didn't know how she felt about that. She knew that she could handle it well, but was unsure about Ron's ability to remain composed.

If nothing else, at least the rest of the Weasley family still liked her. Not to say that Ron didn't like her…he just didn't love her. _That_ way; he didn't love her in _that_ way. So he still had to love her as a friend…

Hermione sighed and hopped off the stool, running to her room to get her purse and head to Diagon Alley. She needed books, and she needed to send her owl.

* * *

Draco Malfoy sat lazily on his wide balcony. He flipped a few pages through his book _Medical Marvel__s__ and Where to Find Them Undersea_and would then place it back on the glass table by his chair. He would do this every half hour, but nothing was sinking in.

Draco was agitated and bored. He had nothing to do and no one to do it with. His mother was shopping; his father was at St. Mungo's and he was all alone. With the house elves of course.

He picked up his book again, and then placed it back down on the table without even opening it this time. The sun was killing him; he was completely wet and overheated, but he had no desire to venture back inside. It had been too long since Draco had lived in the sun, and he would enjoy it, no matter how un-enjoyable it truly was. If only to disprove people's theories about him being a vampire.

He shifted in his chair and sighed loudly and deeply. The kind of sigh one makes when they aim to catch another's attention, expect for Draco, there was no other. When would his mother be back? Perhaps she could keep him company…_that_ was desperation. And poor company too, as much as he loved his mother and cloths, he needed another conversation piece. His father was poor company too. Spoke rarely anything since the final battle, spent most of his time in his office and at charity events attempting to return some glory to the Malfoy name. Draco had no problems with that. It was only his father people still detested. As far as Draco was concerned, he had proved his worth all of last year when he betrayed the deatheaters and came over to the Order.

He still couldn't say why he had done it. Perhaps for this reason right now. So he could lay in the sun happily without worrying about dying at Voldemort's hands. Yes, it was a purely selfish reason, he wanted to save himself and his mother, but his selfishness helped the Order too.

It was difficult to imagine how things might have turned out differently, well…not that difficult. There were a number of options. The deatheaters would have succeeded and Draco would be famous and feared. But he doubted that; more likely the deatheater would have succeeded and Draco would be dead for being no help to them at all. Or the Order would have won anyway and he would be dead or in Azkaban…Draco preferred his decision to move to the Order and was glad he did it.

Now he was a war hero, just like the golden trio, he was respected and he could still show his face in public without shame. Draco felt no pity for his father. It was Lucius' own choice to remain with Voldemort and it would be his battle to regain respect. Draco personally could not believe his father had escaped prison again. People should have been smarter the second time around, but it appeared that money was still influence. It was only the amount of the money that grew. That and the substantial lack of evidence against him; even though Potter witnessed him in Voldemort's circle.

It was upsetting to know his father escaped Azkaban. Draco could not believe his father when he walked into the manor a mere two weeks after the final battle. Free of almost all charges against him. It was safe to say Draco did not like his father. In fact, he hated him. Simple and harsh as he could muster. His father had come home with hugs, kisses, and promises but Draco was not as foolish as his mother to believe them.

Everything would be pleasant and serene until another Voldemort came about and his father fell into his familiar cycle. Draco sighed loudly again and wiped his brow of sweat with the back of his hand. He could only hope that if such a thing were to come around he would be long gone from the man. Draco was done; he was done with everything he had worked for before. All he wanted was a nice life for him and his mother; she was the only reason he still remained at the manor. All he asked for was a pleasant job, a wife to be his family, and a small flower patch behind their home that he could tend to.

* * *

Hermione left the fluttering of wings and musty smell of the post office and stepped into something worse; a hot and sticky afternoon. This was ridiculous weather for England. Almost everyday this month had been disgusting hot. Gardens and lawns were dying, rivers drying up, and people being driven mad. Be damned if you stay home, be damned if you leave. There was only one option to escape the weather, and that was Alaska.

The street was almost completely deserted of people and of shade. Not a soul dared step into the sweltering heat; the cobblestone paths could fry eggs. People hid in the surrounding shops and enjoyed the effects of cooling charms. Hermione braved the sun and quickly sped down the long street to make it to Flourish and Blott's. She could feel the sun beating on the back of her head and dizziness overwhelm her. She was going to suffer a heatstroke if she didn't hurry up.

Slipping into the instant cold of the bookstore Hermione broke out in goosebumps. It was twenty degrees cooler in the store than outside. Rubbing her arms Hermione headed to the till to ask for help.

"What can I do for you?" asked an older lady looking up from her scandal magazine. Hermione glanced at the cover and saw pictures of famous wizards in less than flattering outfits.

After retracting the crumpled list from the bottom of her bag Hermione handed it to the lady, "I need to find these texts, but I'm not sure where they would be located" she explained.

"Looking to be a healer Miss Granger?" the old lady asked looking up from the long list. Startled at her own name Hermione frowned outwardly, "If you weren't in every paper wouldn't it be enough that you come in here almost every other day?" the lady asked with a small smile.

Hermione chuckled nervously, "Yeah, I am going into healer training" she admitted.

"Well, these have to be specially ordered" the woman sighed ducking down and looking for something. She came back up with a giant planner and opened it searching for the correct date. "Only you and one other seem to need these, normally I have to wait until I fill at least five orders before I can send shipping" she said.

"Oh" Hermione frowned, "I was hoping to get them as soon as possible, start reading ahead"

"Sorry sweetie, but tell you what, I'll give it till Friday and if no one else asks for them I'll send the order out anyway" the woman smiled kindly.

"Oh that you very much" Hermione gushed.

"It's only because you are such a valued customer" the lady smiled.

"I'm sorry, what's your name?" Hermione asked turning pink, embarrassed she didn't even know the kind lady's name.

"Helena" the woman smiled gently as she wrote down Hermione's name in her book and then closed it.

"Midsummer Night's Dream?" Hermione asked curiously.

"No idea" Helena laughed "My grandmothers name I think"

"And here I thought I had a companion" Hermione smiled sheepishly "Thank you for your help" Hermione said taking her list back and placing it in her bag.

"You're welcome dear, see you soon" Helena waved from the counter as Hermione left the store and entered hell on earth.

* * *

"Mother?"

"Draco stop whining this instant, you are almost eighteen and are acting like a child" Narcissa Malfoy said as she walked by her son who was sitting at the kitchen counter with a pout.

"But I'm bored"

"I am your mother, not your friend, it is not my job to entertain you" she said coolly as she placed the vase of roses on the small kitchen table. "Why don't you go out with some friends?" she asked with a sigh.

"What friends?" Draco muttered.

"What about Crabbe or Parkinson?" his mother sighed running a hand through her blonde hair and leaning on the counter. She was dying of heat, and all of the cooling charms she had placed about the manner were just not strong enough it seemed. She looked positively ragged.

"No. They're not my friends anymore" Draco said simply.

"Why on earth not?" Narcissa asked in true concern for her son. Startled at this new and surprising admission of his.

"I don't want to be associated with people like that" Draco replied.

"People like _what_?" Narcissa asked leaning across the counter to her son.

"People who are still pureblood fanatics, people who still follow a dead mans ways" Draco said coolly.

Narcissa's face fell in surprise "Well then, you might as well be friends with Potter" she frowned.

"I'm not, I'm friends with Granger" Draco smiled and waited for his mother's reaction.

She stood quickly and walked to the door. Was she actually leaving because of what he said? Draco watched her open the door, look around, and then close it again. She waved her wand around the room and walked back to her son. She grabbed his face and planted a loud smacking kiss right on his forehead. "When did this happen?" Narcissa asked with a genuine smile.

"Uh, well, we've been relatively friendly since last year" Draco admitted, stunned at his mothers behavior. He rubbed his forehead unsurely, that was the most affection he had received from his mother since he was ten.

"Go on" she said seating herself gracefully on the stool next to him and leaning her chin on her hand.

"Well, she was very hesitant to be near me, but after a few missions together we became okay with one another. We could carry on a conversation without bickering and…" Draco stopped here, unsure of how much he wanted to tell his mother.

"Oh come on, whom else do you have to tell?" his mother asked, "I really want to know Draco, and you know I won't mention a word of this to your father, even though he can't really do anything about it" she added rolling her eyes "It's just that…this news makes me happy" she admitted.

"Well, she broke up with Weasley" Draco left out the reason why "and I asked her to the remembrance ball and she accepted" he concluded.

"That's wonderful" Narcissa said clapping her hands together "We must have her over for dinner sometime, and I will make sure to bring a camera to take a picture of your first date with her"

"Slow down mom, I'm not getting married, I'm not even sure if it's a date really" Draco said sheepishly.

"Oh nonsense" his mother tittered standing from her stool, "It must be a date if you asked her to the ball. I just wasn't aware you were interested in Granger" she said in honest shock.

"You and me both, but I guess it makes sense. She's the only person on my level. She's smart and interesting, we would have been the heads if school hadn't shut down" Draco frowned.

"Is she on your level?" Narcissa asked with a raised brow.

"She's way above me. I'm surprised she even said yes to me. Hermione Granger is more compassionate than I could ever hope to be. And she's much more talented at magic than I, so no mother, blood is not important" Draco sighed.

His mother beamed at him again, "Draco I had always hoped you would take after me, and I had quite a scare in your sixth year. But I'm more proud of you then you'll ever know"

"Thanks mum" Draco said affectionately. Dropping the term _mother_ from his vocabulary forever. "I really like her, and I hope that she see's that. It would be nice to be normal for a bit and just live like everyone else" he smiled.

Narcissa shrugged, "I know Draco, I just hope you don't use this poor girl or have it seem like you are" she frowned.

"What do you mean, use her for what?" Draco asked in confusion.

"Oh…well, nothing. I'll see you for supper" Narcissa said quickly as she waved her wand again and exited the kitchen.

* * *

_Oh __Jesus._Hermione sat unsurely next to Ginny who was positively beaming at Harry. Harry was staring at her just as blatantly, must have been nice for them. Hermione looked to her lap, took a deep breath and then looked back up to the table of Weasley's. Ron was the other end, successfully ignoring her. George was on her other side making rude gestures with his hands.

"Here you are love" Mrs. Weasley said pouring stew into Hermione's plate.

"Thank you" Hermione said quietly.

"What's wrong Mi?" George whispered in her ear. Goosebumps broke out along her neck due to his warm breath.

Hermione turned to him with her brightest smile, "Oh nothing" she said evenly. He must have known by now.

George shifted even closer to her, "You know… word on the streets is that Malfoy is looking to bag you" he said quietly, but unable to contain the amusement in his tone.

Hermione jumped in her chair, almost bursting out into laughter. "I'm not a cat" she muttered back with a twitchy smile. If only he knew.

"No, you're a fox" George chortled.

"Shut up!" Hermione laughed loudly smacking George playfully on the arm. George never failed to tease her, and when he was incapable then Fred would take over.

"Just telling you Hermione, forget about him. I'm right here, and everyone knows I'm more attractive than the polecat!" he said puffing out his chest. Hermione snorted and placed her hand on his. The whole lot of the Weasley clan turned to look at them at his comment. George's eyes moved to Ron who was glaring at them. He made sure to give Ron the biggest smile he could before placing his arm loosely around Hermione's shoulders. "Anyway Hermione, you should be my date to the ball" he added with another flashy smile towards Ron. So he was trying to make the git jealous, he deserved it anyway. It wasn't as though he was only trying to get on Ron's nerves; George wouldn't have minded spending time with Hermione. Anyone with eyes would have seen that she had grown since first year. She was no longer just a pretty little girl, she was a woman.

Hermione smiled bashfully. How could she tell George that she already had a date? She leant against him and whispered softly, "Don't make a fuss, I already have a date. And if you want me to tell you who it is, you'll just have to be nice all dinner. I'll tell you in the garden afterwards" she promised.

The look of surprise flickered across his face. He nodded silently. He was curious; Hermione didn't seem like the type to move on so fast…right. There was nothing to move on from. It was so difficult to remember that she and Ron never had an actual defined relationship. Everyone just assumed it was. Well, either way, he was happy for her. He just couldn't figure out who she would go with. Perhaps Wood, they had become cozy over the last year. Or Krum? Or… Nah.

* * *

George blinked once, then twice. He was going for a third blink but Hermione cried out "Oh honestly! Don't look at me like I've grown three heads".

"I just…I guess I shouldn't be _too_ surprised" George mused with a small smile.

"No, you shouldn't I mean-…wait. What do you mean you shouldn't be _too_ surprised?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"Well…" George began guiltily. "Word on the street is that Malfoy asked me if you were available a few weeks ago" he said with a wry smile.

It was Hermione's turn to blink stupidly "What did you say?" she asked gripping his arm tightly.

"What do you think woman! I told him I had no bloody idea and that if he wanted to know he could ask you" George said quickly. That was not what he had said at all, he had just blatantly lied to Hermione. It didn't make much of a difference anyway.

Hermione glared skeptically but George did not back down. "Seriously?" she asked crossing her arms.

George crossed his fingers behind his back and replied "Seriously… So what, are you two dating now?" he asked.

"Hardly" Hermione huffed, "We're simply going together to the ball, I don't even know that I would call it a date" she frowned.

"Well, Ron has a date" Fred said walking up to them by the garden bench. He was grinning foolishly.

"How-" Hermione began. But Fred threw an oddly elastic ear into her lap. "Oh" she frowned, crinkling her nose in disapproval.

"Don't worry, nobody else was listening" he said casually. Assuring her that the area was secure. Hermione did not feel any more at ease.

"Who's his date?" she asked as Fred sat down beside her, the bench groaned slightly.

"Parkinson" Fred yawned loudly.

"Pansy?" Hermione said in revulsion "He left me for Malfoy's scraps?"

"Does that mean that Malfoy is getting Ron's scraps?" George snickered softly.

"Not funny" Hermione said angrily crossing her arms "Not fucking funny at all"

"Don't worry your bushy little head, Ron will see what a prat he is being sooner or later" Fred promised.

"That's all fine and well. Except that I don't care. I don't want Ron back; I just don't understand how he could go to Parkinson after dropping me like a burning coal. Aren't I prettier?" she groaned.

The twins exchanged knowing looks. "We were wondering the same thing. We're suspecting a love potion" Fred sniggered.

"But seriously, nobody knows what the hell went through Ron's head when he gave you up. You're possibly the best that ever happened to him Hermione. But…don't you think he needs space. You need space too" George said sincerely.

Just then they saw Ginny's form moving towards them in the near dark. "I guess we have been suffocating each other lately…" Hermione admitted quietly to no one in particular.

"It will all end up fine, have fun with Malfoy at the ball" George said giving her knee a squeeze.

"What are we talking about?" Ginny asked coming to a stop in front of the threesome. She was frowning at the odd group. Since when had Hermione become buddy buddy with the twins? She was answered with silence. "Anyway, mum is calling us in for cocoa. Come on then" she said turning back around.

Hermione stood and the twins followed her and Ginny back in.

* * *

"Since when are you and Malfoy friends?" Ron asked casually, sitting himself down next to her on the loveseat.

"Since last year" Hermione said keeping her eyes fixed on the fireplace. It was a small white lie. It all depended on the definition of 'friend'. She felt extremely uncomfortable next to Ron. His seat had sunk in and she was sliding towards him. At least everyone else was outside playing Quidditch. They needed this talk.

"Hermione, we're still friends right?" he asked so quietly she almost missed it.

Hermione turned in surprise, all she could see were line of worry etched on his face. "Yeah, of course Ron. Why wouldn't we be?" she asked unsurely, was he trying to say something?

"I don't know; I was just being silly I guess" he said turning bright red and looking away from her. He was really worried; Hermione could see it on his reddening neck.

"Listen Ron" Hermione sighed placing her cup of cocoa on the coffee table, she could speak earnestly now. "I really do love you Ron. Maybe we were just being pushed into something…pointless. If you don't love me in _that_ way, that's okay. I understand. Maybe we need time to be apart, maybe we just shouldn't even try. But regardless of romance and dating, you will always be my friend. You know that right?" she said hesitantly.

"I know. I just wanted to make sure with you Hermione. I didn't want to lose you over something so stupid…you seemed so mad when I told you…and I couldn't bear to see you so upset. I just had to get away" he muttered staring into his cup and swishing the liquid.

"I'm not mad anymore. I understand" Hermione promised.

"Good" Ron exhaled.

"So you're going with Pansy to the ball?" Hermione asked changing the topic.

"How did you know?" Ron asked in surprise.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Ron…come on. Your family can't keep a damn secret"

"Yeah, I am…is that okay?" he asked with a wince.

Hermione laughed, "Ron, its fine. If it makes you happy, then I will try very hard to let it make me happy too. As much as I dislike Pansy, I won't hold her against you. So long as you are fine with your decision, than that is good for me" Hermione promised.

"Thanks Mione" Ron said placing his cup down, he looked at Hermione hesitantly, and then threw his arms around her.

Hermione hugged him back, holding on to him tightly. Ron was important to her; she knew that if they just cooled off a little then things would get better. Besides, what was there to be tense about? Ron had been honest to her, and yeah…it had hurt. But she couldn't hate him for what he felt. She wouldn't want that for herself…

"I do love you Mione, you know that" Ron said.

"I know, if you didn't I'd have to kill you" she joked.

He let her go and smiled shyly. Hermione felt like they were back in first year. "You know my family sucks at keeping secrets… well all you said about accepting Pansy …likewise, with Malfoy" Ron smiled before standing and leaving her sitting there alone and in stunned silence.

Hermione's mouth dropped open. She jumped out of her seat and ran outside after Ron, she ran into George right outside the door.

She could see him stiffen under her glare. He was dead meat. "Mum" he said weakly over his shoulder.

"Don't even bother calling your mother, nothing can save you now" Hermione smiled.

George turned and ran; shrieking to as he attempted to miss the jinxs being cast at him.


	5. Incorrigible

**Chapter Five: Incorrigible**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own H-doggy Pottyizzle. Gosh!

**A/N:** I really hate this chapter. I just thought all of you should know. It's probably the worst thing I've ever written in my life, but it was unavoidable. I needed to write this, and just throw in all of the hints to make way for the next chapter. And to answer a common question: there will be about four more fluffy lovey dovey chapters . And then the initial incident will occur and the actual plot will begin. I had first considered just putting all of this in a prologue. But you try condencing ten chapters into one! So, this information is important. But it's not a happy story, soon the table's will turn, and it probably won't be a all that happy end Instert my evil laugh here actually I'm not sure about the end yet... Happy reading, please review!

* * *

"Ginny, sit the bloody hell down" Hermione growled as she pulled on her modest shoes. They were ballet flats made of white soft leather, and they reminded her of childhood. The leather smelt old, but comfortable, Hermione was sure she had a similar pair when she was three.

"I'm just so excited! This will be my coming out with Harry. After tonight everyone will know we're engaged!" Ginny gushed excited and continuously paced her room. She twirled, letting her dress fly up in the air.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Ginny, everyone already knows. You walk around and frighten people by flashing that giant hazard in their faces" Hermione muttered with more bitterness than she had intended.

"It's beautiful though" Ginny sighed finally sitting down on the bed and looking fondly at her hand and the giant rock on her finger.

Hermione sighed and stood; she checked her watch and bit her lip. She then walked to the door and opened it, looking down the stairs. Hermione closed the door and walked over to the window. She glanced out across acres of green.

Ginny snorted loudly and looked away.

"Oh what?" Hermione asked agitatedly turning away from the window.

"It's ten to seven Hermione, he'll be here. Why don't you just _sit the bloody hell dow__n, _and take a deep breath" Ginny suggested with a twitchy smile.

"I'm worried" Hermione admitted taking her seat next to Ginny "I know Ron knows, and so do George and Fred"

"- And Harry"

"-And Harry…but…your mom and dad don't… neither does Bill…nor Charlie nor…"

"Hermione shut it, everybody knows, believe me, and nobody really cares. Nobody will say anything rude- well, they'll try their hardest not to. You can't ever really know with my family" Ginny muttered musing off topic.

Hermione walked over to Ginny's mirror. She squinted at herself unsurely. Perhaps she should have tried harder? There were going to be many people there, and many photographers and journalists. She couldn't look plain. Her hair had been managed into a loose bun, but perhaps she should have put some more colour on her face? It was probably better that she hadn't, Hermione didn't understand make-up concepts. Mascara and lipstick were fine, but everything else escaped her field of knowledge. Oh irony.

"Hermione you look fine" Ginny said in a sing-song voice from the bed.

"I wish I believed you" Hermione muttered in reply. It was easy for Ginny to say, her hair was anything but plain. But what was one to do with brown hair. Half the population had brown hair! Perhaps a colour charm…blonde…black?

"Malfoy would find you beautiful if you went wearing a paper sack" Ginny yawned, tired of her friend's meltdown.

Hermione turned around quickly, "I'm not worried about how I look for _Malfoy_" she said in an outraged tone, "there will be other people there too" she defended herself.

"But only he matters" Ginny said quietly, she was smiling widely.

"Oh! You're incorrigible!" Hermione said in frustration.

"Don't hate the bearer of the obvious news. You like him Hermione, more than you let yourself admit. And even if you don't _really_ like him" Ginny rolled her eyes at those words "it's a girl thing to panic when one attends a date with a handsome young man" she concluded wisely.

"It's not a date" Hermione said clearly.

Ginny snorted, "Who's _incorrigible_ now?"

* * *

"The git is here!" Harry yelled upstairs.

Both Ginny and Hermione jumped from the bed, they cast each other nervous looks and then raced downstairs. Shoving down the cramped halls like two children on Christmas day. They slowed at the last few steps and decided to make smooth entrances. Ginny went first and smiled graciously at everyone. She said hello to her family and then turned on the outsider "Hello Draco" she said sweetly moving to the nervous blonde boy.

"Uh…hello…_Ginerva_?" Draco said unsurely. Hermione smiled at him from the bottom step, he looked nice. Wearing ink green wizard robes and his hair was neatly parted to the side. He wrung his hands together apprehensively. It made her feel better to know he wasn't all that built up as he seemed. He looked terrified at the prospect of being surrounded by Weasley's.

"Hello" Hermione said with a smile as she made her presence known. The Weasley's smiled at her warmly.

"You look lovely dear" Mrs. Weasley smiled. She was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief that had seen better days. Pansy and Ron were deep in discussion in the kitchen, Hermione could hear them clearly.

"Hey…" Draco said with a smirk, visibly relaxing in her presence "You look wonderful" he added glancing Hermione over.

"As do you" Hermione replied courteously. Draco was staring at her avidly; his eyes were moving slowly along her body, she was beginning to flush under his studying gaze. He finally met her eyes again and smiled, he outstretched his hand, palm up for her. Hermione took it.

"I'm sure everyone will be jealous of my date" he winked pulling her towards him and wrapping his arm around her waist. Her dress was lovely, and not nearly as contrived as Weasley's or Pansy's. It was light and yellow, very pretty. No sequins, no lace, thank god.

"Mione!" George whined, "Why didn't I ask you out first? If I'd have known you would be so-" George's sentence was cut off by the quick smack issued from Molly Weasley.

"None of that George" she said through her teeth, folding her handkerchief neatly.

Hermione laughed at George's pout. "Well, it took you even longer to realize I'm a girl than it took Ron and Harry". Ron's head popped out of the kitchen; he and Harry both reddened at her comment, it was still somewhat of a touchy subject.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were dressed in matching purple robes and looked positively pleased as they glanced out along their children, blood and adoptive and their friends. It was somewhat of a family moment for them, their first real one in years. It was the first time in ages when they had all been able to be in the same room, no worry for the safety of their children. Only happiness to go around.

"Should we take some pictures?" Mr. Weasley suggested holding up he camera, a smile on his face as he attempted to push the film into the contraption.

* * *

They entered the grand hall in the ministry. It was the largest one and used especially for important events. Well, this was as important an event as they came. Hermione followed the Weasley's as Draco's hand on her back guided her along. He was being fairly touchy.

"Wow" he smiled looking out into the sea of people. Hermione's eyes were focused on the decorations and the history of the room. It was a giant alcove, beautiful carvings surrounding all of the walls. Important political figure's portraits lined the walls as they looked on the spectacle with interest. Fairies twinkled above with lilies floating alongside them. There were even a few Hogwarts ghosts flying around. Hermione had not been aware that they could leave the premises.

Camera's snapped all about; their flashing lights blinded Hermione, she hated the feeling of being scrutinized. She just knew she would be printed in gossip magazines the next morning as she was picked apart from head to toe. Good thing she never read those papers.

The screeching tone of Rita Skeeter assaulted her ears and Hermione could even hear Hagrid's bellow not too far off. She had not seen many of these people since the battle. Hermione felt her chest swell with happiness and relief.

She felt Draco's hand slip from her waist gently into her own, his finger tips laying flat against her own. Slightly startled Hermione made to remove her own hand. But he had already grabbed tight. Draco turned to smile reassuringly at her, "Ready to converse casually?" he asked with a smirk "I know purebreds are taught socializing skills, but I don't know about your kind".

"Please Malfoy, I was made for event's like this" Hermione scoffed rolling her eyes.

"Alright, because the Minister is coming our way" he grinned pulling her forward towards Kingsley Shacklebolt.

* * *

"I would like to now call upon the three saviors of our time. Miss' Hermione Granger, Mr. Harry Potter, and Mr. Ronald Weasley will speak to us about the events of the last year. If you please" Kingsley Shacklebolt boomed over the crowded room, the microphone pointing in the opposite direction of his mouth, deemed unnecessary. The trio exchanged nervous looks from their spot on the ground. Hermione handed her drink to Draco who winked at her encouragingly. Hermione smiled in return. He had been positively delightful the whole evening. Nicer than he had been all of last year.

They walked apprehensively to the large podium, set in the middle of the grand hall, leaving the safety of friends and family behind. It was all them. Hermione smiled at her friends hesitantly. They returned timid smiles. Hermione wasn't much of a public speaker…

"You go first" Harry said to her as they stepped in front of the microphones, Ron mumbled his agreement; he was turning a bright red. Harry looked nervous; his cheeks were running pink right under the rim of his glasses. Hermione nodded and cleared her throat deciding to do the boys a favor; an onslaught of lights came at her. She smiled graciously for the cameras, and then began the only way she knew how.

"First, I would like to say, that our victory could not have been accomplished without family and friends…"

* * *

"Pleased to see you again Mrs. Malfoy" Hermione said taking the slender woman's hand. Narcissa Malfoy cut an impressive figure in the room. Her pale beauty and model stature made Hermione feel incredibly small and plain.

"It's Narcissa dear, I don't like to be called by my surname, and it ages me" she smiled her face lighting up with the smallest turn of her lips.

Hermione suspected there were many other reasons why Narcissa didn't like to be called by her surname, but she kept the thoughts to herself. "How are you enjoying yourself?" Hermione asked thoughtfully. Draco stood next to her, and his hand remained on her lower back, as though he was holding Hermione upright. Well, she didn't need his help at the moment, Hermione was sure she could handle his mother. The woman seemed nice enough.

Narcissa seemed to be contemplating her answer; "Fairly well, not as boring as I thought it might be" she then laughed softly, "I haven't been to such a grand even in a long time, I've lost all of my charm" she smiled wryly.

"Impossible" Hermione smiled in return, unable to stop herself from complimenting the woman. It was just the way Hermione had been raised, in polite society; one must always compliment their elders.

"Oh you are positively delightful Miss Granger" Narcissa was pleased with the praise she had received. She didn't get very much all that often "And quite attractive too, you should come over to the manor some time. It is a much more cheerful place now; I have the gardens all beautifully done up. The maze is wonderful, you would love it. You know, when Draco told me about how he fancied you-"

"We should mingle mother!" Draco said cutting her off. Narcissa's eyebrows rose with interest but she said nothing. "We'll see you again later" he added more evenly. Nonetheless a small flush was creeping up his neck and along his ears.

"But of course dear, I understand it is not fashionable to be seen with ones mother" Narcissa said with a twitchy smile, "I do hope you come by Hermione, I'd love to have tea with you" she smiled.

"Of course, Ms. Black, if Draco invites me I will come" Hermione said with a small curtsy. There was something so terribly regal about Draco's mother that Hermione couldn't help but curtsy in her presence. Ms. Black bent her head ever so slightly and then turned from them to find someone else to chat with.

"So…you fancy me, eh?" Hermione asked snidely as she and Draco walked to the drinks bar, distancing themselves from the mad crowd of loud talkers. He was trying very hard to not reply. Hermione could see the inner battle going on in his head, it was amusing. "Or perhaps, you don't like me very much at all?" she sighed with mock unhappiness.

"NO! I do like you!" he said touchily.

"Oh, well good" Hermione replied with a smile. Hook, line, and sinker.

Draco could have slapped himself had he not been surrounded with cameras. She was playing him like a flute. Granger had just managed to make him admit how much he liked her. God! What happened to be suave and never letting the girl know how you exactly felt? It seemed he was loosing all of his previous charms as well.

But he was happy to see them go. The act he had been putting on for years was tiring. Who cared what he acted like? If Granger came to like him, it wouldn't be for his sex-god prowls. She wasn't won over by such frivolous things.

His mother had almost ruined his life. Had she not promised that what was said in the kitchen would never get out? He would never share personal feelings with his mother again, honestly, like she was better than any other mother in the secret keeping department. She was like a strainer, the whole neighborhood would know about his small _crush_ by Monday morning.

Draco knew his father would find out sooner or later, especially if Granger was to visit the manor. But his father was weak. A ghost of his past glory Lucius Malfoy just wandered the grounds absently now. Searching for something he lost long ago. He was no danger to anyone now, practically senile; he could barely remember what time dinner was at.

Anyway, let them all know! What did it matter? He was young and he was making his way around. He had many years of dating to make up for. All of those half-bloods, and muggleborns who were lookers were waiting for him to come around and sweep them of their feet. And Granger was just the first. Perhaps if she was good, he'd come back eventually, she seemed like a keeper.

"…Or peach?"

"What?" Draco asked breaking out of his train of thought with the feeling that he had missed quite a bit.

"I'm not going to repeat the damn chapter I just listed off Malfoy! Were you even listening to me?" Hermione asked; her lips were growing thinner by the second and Draco was starting to fear.

"Not really" Draco said; deciding honesty was probably the best policy at the moment. Girls liked honesty right?

"_Not really_? Do you _always_ ignore your _dates_?" Hermione asked irritably pouring herself a drink, she looked annoyed with him and her hands were shaking.

"Not usually" Draco winced, trying for honesty again.

Hermione's cup overflowed and the liquid spilt over her hand, "Are you serious?" she asked dropping her cup in the crystal bowl. It sank to the bottom.

"No" Draco ventured nervously. Perhaps a little lie couldn't hurt?

Hermione let out a breath, "Honestly Malfoy, your sense of humor is just horrible. I can never tell when you're joking" she tittered reprovingly.

Draco felt a wave of relief; he had just been let off the hook. He supposed it was probably better to remain in reality for the rest of the evening. Hermione might have something _important_ to say and he could miss it. He watched her clean off her sticky hand with her wand and pour herself another drink, "would you like something?" she asked with raised brows.

"Oh no, I'm good thanks" Draco said.

"Ha, _good_, that's a word for it" Hermione muttered.

* * *

"Does Dumbledore look worried to you?" Harry asked Hermione quietly as they all sat for supper. Hermione leant across the table, reaching for a roll, but shifting her eyes to her right to catch a glimpse of Dumbledore. His hands were flat against one another, and his chin rested on his fingers.

"He's in pondering mode" Hermione whispered to Harry as she sat back down in her seat. Draco was leaning towards her, trying to catch the conversation.

"Why on earth?" asked Ron from Harry's right, overhearing their conversation.

"Who knows? And who cares really? I'm here to enjoy myself. Voldemort is dead, and until another one shows up, I'm going to use my time as best I can" Hermione replied biting into her roll.

"Here here" Ron said with a mouthful, he raised his glass to Hermione.

"You sure it's nothing?" Harry asked apprehensively.

"Oh please Harry, poor Dumbledore has a school to fill with teachers and half of Hogwarts to rebuild, the poor man has a lot on his mind" Hermione sighed.

"Yeah, you're right" Harry nodded.

"Was there ever a time when I wasn't?" Hermione asked with a smile.

* * *

"So…is this our last dance for tonight?" Draco asked as he moved Hermione across the practically empty floor. Many people had already left, only the younger guests remained to finish off the food and liquor.

"Yes it is, my parents are finally returning from Australia tomorrow morning, I've been waiting to see them for months, I'd like to be well rested for their return" Hermione said.

"Why have they been gone so long, they could have come back weeks ago?" Draco asked in puzzlement.

"They needed time to sort things out" Hermione said vaguely. Draco decided to not push it, if she wanted to tell him, she would have. Besides, he had a sneaking suspicion that not all was well in the Granger household. Draco knew that Hermione obliviated her parents and then sent them with false memories to Australia. The people didn't even know they had a daughter. It was probably difficult for them to grasp.

Draco let his right hand slip a little lower down her back, resting right over her backside; it became tiring holding his hand so high up her back. Hermione seemed not to notice. "You okay?" he asked, quiet girls were one of the things that made him squirm.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking…" she replied vaguely again. It seemed like she was in one of those moods, Draco would have simply preferred if she did not have those moods in his presence. But…he had been leaving reality himself for much of the evening. And he was not a hypocrite.

"Granger, would you actually come over to the manor some time? I don't want you to think this was a one time thing, I happen to genuinely take interest in you" Draco said seriously. He wanted to set the prospects now.

Hermione broke out of her spell; she was gazing at him uncertainly. It was a horrible feeling for Draco to be looked at suspiciously. "Maybe…" she said honestly "I just don't know…"

"You don't know what?" he asked incredulously. Hermione was as ambiguous as Lovegood! And that was saying something.

"I don't know if I want a _relationship_ right now. School will be starting soon, and I will need time with my parents and…-"

"Merlin Granger! I'm not asking you to marry me and move in! I'm only asking you to come over sometime!" Draco laughed loudly.

Hermione blushed and grinned sheepishly, "Yeah, I know… I just want to make sure you don't expect anything from me"

"What an odd thing to say Granger" Draco frowned, that didn't sound like the usual Granger at all. He expected a lot from her, what on earth was she on about?

"It's just, I can't guarantee how long I'll be able to stick it out, so don't get your hopes up" she explained.

"What? Are you heading to Mars? Please Granger, I don't expect much from you. Just some good times, I mean, we've barely been getting along for nine months, lets take it slow" Draco grinned. He loved it when girls became flustered over him. It stroked his masculinity.

"Yeah, sure…wait! What is your definition of a _good time_?" Hermione said with a raised brow. That sounded remarkably like a veiled comment.

"Sex" Draco replied seriously.

* * *

Hermione thwacked him with her purse as they walked along her driveway. "I told you I hate your fucking sense of humor. That was not funny at all. And Ron heard! What a mess. He would have hexed you to the moon had I not intervened" Hermione rambled. Draco walked along beside her, trying to look ashamed "You need to work on your sarcasm; I'll buy you a book of knock-knock jokes or something!"

"I was teasing!" he said defensively; wondering at the same time what _knocker_ jokes were. As far as he was concerned, _knockers_ were the same thing as _dirty pillows_.

"Ron didn't know that!" Hermione replied accusingly "He thought you were being a sleaze". Draco just shrugged, he couldn't argue that statement. She was damn near right. "And you were, weren't you?" Hermione blamed.

"Perhaps, can you blame me for thinking about it? You're not exactly a nun Granger. I mean, you have the anatomy, and it doesn't hurt that your face is pleasant too" Draco said rolling his eyes.

Hermione was practically frothing at the mouth with anger. "What does that mean?" she asked turning around on the step before her door.

Draco grabbed her arms and pulled her down, she fell right into him, and before she could begin to complain again Draco silenced her.

Hermione wasn't sure how she felt at the moment. Her anger seemed to be diminishing, unwillingly though. But the kiss was pleasant. It was nice and simple, not wet or rough. She could feel Malfoy's fingers creep along her jaw and tangling in her hair. And she could smell him. Oh lord she could smell him and it was divine. He pulled back first, leaving Hermione unsteady on her feet and flushed.

"Wow" she said. Immediately wanting to slap herself for sounding like such an idiot for her reply.

"I know" Draco replied with a smirk.

Standing silently in front of him, Hermione felt the awkwardness creep about. She wanted to say something, but nothing was coming to mind…Well, she really wanted to kiss him again. She hadn't been kissed in ages.

"Yeah, I would like to come over to the manor sometime, please invite me" she said, answering his long ago asked question.

"Consider yourself invited. I look forward to seeing more of you Granger" Draco grinned stepping back down her steps and out of her reach.

Hermione was nodding very quickly, apparently nervous. Draco watched Hermione fumble with her keys, then open the door; she smiled apologetically at him, "Night Draco".

"Good night Hermione" he replied, using her first name. He waited for her to close the door behind her, and then he walked down her long non-apparition charmed driveway. Using the time to think about what had happened in the last five hours, how he liked Hermione, how she possibly liked him back, and to consider why Dumbledore had been so uneasy throughout dinner.


	6. Eloquently Resigned

**Chapter Six****: Eloquently Resigned**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Potty. That lovely right belongs to J to the K. Rowling.

* * *

Hermione sat anxiously at her kitchen counter, waiting for her parents return. They should have arrived by now. But perhaps their plane was late, or they couldn't get a cab. Getting a cab at the airport was absolutely dreadful. Her fingers tapped on the counter, the sound echoed through the empty house joining the ticking of the clocks.

Hermione had never felt so full and empty all at the same time. She was filled with unease at her parent's return, her brain running circles. Did they still love her? She had betrayed them. Could they possibly still consider her their same daughter as before?

But her heart screamed with joy. Her life could begin. Her friends still loved her, Draco Malfoy liked her, and in two months she would be heading to the Healing Academy. It was too much excitement to survive.

The two pieces needed to connect for Hermione to be at ease. Her parents must come back only to be with her and to love her again in order for her to move along. Otherwise, there would be a giant tear in Hermione's duvet of life. And the bitterness would be the horrid wank stain upon it. Hermione grimaced at her distasteful metaphor. She had truly been spending too much time with boys.

All of last year it had just been her, Harry and Ron. And they had rubbed off on her considerably. Hermione even found herself belching in public occasionally. Lately she had been trying to get some of her femininity back, or rather…find some in the first place.

Her eyes flew to the clock above the fridge; it was nine…or rather, two after nine. They had said their plane landed at six in the morning. They must have been on their way at least. The airport was no more than an hour away. And Hermione seriously doubted that there was immense traffic on a Sunday morning.

A crack sounded in her empty house, then a loud crash and swearing. Her heart jumped into her throat, but Hermione calmed when she remembered her wards.

"Ron, whatever you broke, fix it!" Hermione called out to the hallway, only Ron could make such an ungraceful entrance. She heard him mutter "repairo" and then clunk his way to the kitchen. He dropped his book bag heavily on her parquet floors.

"Morning" he said walking past her and scratching his red and gold head "can I have some coffee?" he asked spotting the pot on the counter.

"Ron, when have you ever asked before? Besides you don't have to ask for anything in my home" she reminded him. He looked unruly and tired. His hair stuck up at all odd ends and there were bags under his eyes. Hermione wondered just how late he stayed with Pansy last night. The name was bitter on her lips, but the edge was slowly wearing away. And understanding was settling in.

"What can I say, my mother raised me with impeccable manners" he smiled opening her cupboard and grabbing himself a mug.

"So, to what do I owe this wonderful visit?" Hermione asked kindly, but curiously.

"I thought you could use some support for when your parents arrived. But…either they're not here yet, or I've missed them already" Ron frowned looked around.

"They're not here" Hermione clarified.

"I thought I would surely be late" he admitted coming to sit down next to her with his coffee.

Hermione shrugged, "I don't know where they are, it seems their plane was late, or there's traffic" she suggested.

Ron said nothing, but Hermione could feel the skeptical look he was giving her. He took a long drink off coffee and then yawned again. She knew Ron found her theories as unbelievable as she did, but what was the answer then? Her parents had not vanished off of the face of the planet, and Hermione had talked to them the day before.

"Slow it down Ron, it's not milk" Hermione chastised "you'll give yourself a headache".

"Whatever" he muttered looking about again, anxious for her parents arrival.

"Did you have a nice time last night?" Hermione asked with a twitchy smile.

"Not too bad, although I never realized how damn passionate Pansy is. She's dreadfully possessive. She spent the whole night telling everyone I was hers, it's all over the papers" Ron said as a blush crept up his cheeks.

"But you like it" Hermione added knowledgably.

"True, I have a thing for bossy girls" Ron admitted with a nudge to her side. There was still an air of awkwardness between them, but neither would mention it. For both knew their separation was for the best. They were meant to be friends.

Hermione rolled her eyes. There was no way she was bossy, perhaps she was a know-it-all, and a little forthcoming, but not bossy. "Did you bring a paper?" Hermione asked inquisitively.

"Boy did I" Ron said reaching down and pulling it out of his bag "I thought you might like to see this" he admitted passing it to her "Front page too"

Hermione laughed as she saw the picture.

A sheepish looking Draco was whispering something into her ear while they danced in giant swirls in the midst of others. The title read, "_FALL OF DARK LORD LEAD__S__ TO RISE OF __RARE__FREINDSHIP__S_".

"That's nice" Hermione smiled as she continued to leaf through the Prophet, spotting many pictures of people she knew. The majority of the paper seemed to cover last night's events; articles on clothing, speeches, and sightings. There was some minor ministry information, and a ridiculous piece about a theory of Voldemort's vampirism.

"I thought that after your parents came home, you'd like to head to Diagon Alley with me, and we could get something" Ron said vaguely, he had already finished his cup of coffee.

Hermione's eyebrows flew up her forehead. "Of course, I'm in desperate need of '_something'_" she smiled dryly.

Ron overlooked her comment completely, "Good, so when are they arriving again?" he asked.

"I don't know…" Hermione sighed.

"Just leave a note or something and come with me. I'm sure if they're this late, then they won't be arriving in the next five minuets" he said encouragingly.

Hermione bit her lip and considered it, she had been waiting a whole hour, and they should have arrived by eight at the latest. So why were they so late? And if they had not even the decency to phone her, and to tell her that they would be late… Hermione had no way to reach them, but surely there were pay phones at the airport. She grumbled angrily and stood to go find so parchment in a kitchen drawer. Why was she bothering herself with people that clearly no longer cared?

As much as she loved her parents, they had never understood her. They didn't even understand why she had sent them to Australia. They didn't understand Voldemort, or any of the things Hermione had been through. Sure they knew about those things, but they never _understood_. Although it seemed they tried, up until her sixth year her parents had tried their hardest to help her in everyway they could.

But when she began her sixth year, it seemed they realized that they could never really have their daughter. Hermione's life was so different from theirs, and they could not comprehend. So they let her go. Hermione saw them, and she talked to them and hugged them, but she knew they were no longer the same parents she had before.

For the last two years of her life, the Weasley's had been her family. They cared for her, and fretted and fed, Molly Weasley did everything she possibly could for Hermione. And Mr. Weasley treated her just as equally as he treated any of his other children. They were her magical parents, they understood the danger in her life, and why she did the things she did. As guilty as it left her, Hermione felt that she appreciated the Weasley's more than she appreciated her own parents. They had raised her to the age of eleven. But the Weasley family had helped her through her toughest times.

When her parents arrived they would find the note she had written. Stating: _I'm out, I'll be home by five, and I hope you had a nice flight. Sincerely, Hermione. _

It was all she could write.

"All right, let me go get dressed Ron and I'll be down in a minute" Hermione said with a forced smile as she taped the note to the fridge.

* * *

"So what is this something?" Hermione asked with a smile as she and Ron walked down the cobbled lane. People were walking lazily past them. Sunhats and small articles of clothing all about. Nobody dared to bother with robes in such nasty heat.

"I'm not telling you" he smiled in return.

"Is it for me?" she asked grabbing his elbow, her eyes going wide.

"Perhaps" he replied vaguely.

"Okay then, so long as it's for me" Hermione concluded.

Ron jabbed her in the side and laughed "You're so vain" he joked.

"I'm allowed a bit of vanity, am I not?" Hermione asked "I am a striking young girl, all of my kind is conceited" she explained casually.

"Are you calling Malfoy an 'attractive young girl' then, for he is terribly conceited?" Ron sniggered.

Hermione remained thoughtful, "he did seem to outshine all of the pretty girls last night. What do you think? He was born a hermaphrodite; his parents flipped a gallon and decided to raise him a boy?" Hermione asked seriously.

Ron had bent over double, clutching his stomach and laughing heartily. "Oh Hermione, I've missed you" he grinned.

"But Ronald, I never went anywhere" she said in mock confusion.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, come on, let's go get that 'something'" he said rolling his eyes and leading her down the small sweltering street.

"Sit here" he said seating her down on a lane bench. He placed her ice-cream in her hand and gave her a warning look. "Don't you dare move, okay?" he asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes and nodded, "Okay, but be back soon. I might get sunstroke if I don't move" she threatened.

Ron smiled and walked away. Hermione looked down the end of the street. Books, robes, trinkets and an owlry were the only establishments. But to her surprise Ron just kept walking and turned the corner, gone from her sight. Hermione had never been down the small lane at the end of the street. There had never been anything of importance there for her.

She leant as far forward as she could, attempting to see around the corner without raising her bum off the chair.

"Granger, you're sure to pull a muscle doing that"

Hermione jerked back against the bench. "Oh, Draco, you scared me" she frowned squinting up at his face. He was dressed in shorts and a white t-shirt, his hair was everywhere. And if she was not mistaken he had dirt on his knees. This must have been some alien, for Draco Malfoy would never have muddy knees.

"I was gardening with my mother" he explained catching her gaze. "She made me" he added defensively.

"I think it's sweet" Hermione smiled.

"Can I sit?" he asked motioning to the bench.

"Yeah, wait with me" she said sliding over so he could sit with her.

"What are you waiting for, besides for your ice-cream to melt" he added with a smile.

Hermione noticed the sweet sticky trails running down her hand. She took her wand and refroze the ice-cream then cleaned off her fist. "I'm waiting for Ron, he got me a surprise, and he's coming back with it" she answered.

"Is it a book?" Draco asked casually leaning back against the bench and look up at the clear blue sky.

"No, he walked right past the bookstore" Hermione answered seriously, missing his snide remark completely.

"Well, what else do you buy for Granger but a book?" Draco asked with a small smile.

Hermione looked thoughtful, her tongue working quickly to finish off the melting milk and sugar. She bit into her cone and pursed her lips. It seemed she was really thinking about an answer. Draco couldn't help but chuckle, she was ridiculous. Her hands were sweet and sticky still; her hair was pulled into a haphazard ponytail, sunburn over her nose, and a polka dotted dress. Childish, but some might say innocent.

"I like…cloths" she said lamely.

"So vain" Draco tsked.

"You'd be the second person to say that today… but there is very little that I need. Books are just wonderful for me, they are the means to an ends" she admitted sheepishly before continuing to devour her ice-cream. Draco wondered just how much of the deathly stuff she ate.

"What ends is that?" Draco asked, even though he was sure he knew the answer.

"Knowledge" Hermione replied quietly.

"Weasley seems to be coming back" Draco said looking down the street. And indeed Ron was returning with a box. He watched Hermione's face glow with excitement. Like a child on Christmas day. "No need to jump out of your pants" he said rolling his eyes. Hermione ignored him.

"Malfoy" Ron said casually.

"Ronald" Draco replied with a small smile.

"Here you are Hermione" Ron said placing the box in her lap. He was attempting to suppress a smile.

Draco was interested to see what Weasley had bought Hermione. What could it be? It was too big for a book, but perhaps it was a collection of books. But Draco knew for a fact that there were no bookstores down at that end of the alley.

Hermione ran her fingers along the pretty yellow wrapping. She pulled off the bow and the box jerked in her lap. She looked up startled. Ron just smiled encouragingly.

If he had bought her some dangerous book, or god forbid a skewert or something ludicrous of the sort, Hermione would murder him. She gently opened the top.

"Oh Ron" she mewed emotionally.

Draco looked inside the box; a small red kitten was sitting in the bottom. Hermione pulled the cat out and placed the box on the ground. She stood to hug Ron and mercilessly crushed him against her, holding the kitten in her hand. "Thank you so much" she cried loudly.

"Hermione, do you like him?" Ron asked.

"It's a him!" Hermione cried loudly.

She pressed the cat to her chest and continued to cry. Draco was unsure of what was occurring. It was just a cat. Why one earth was Granger having a bawl-fest? Ron looked apologetically at Draco and rubbed Hermione's back.

"What should I call him?" she asked sitting back down.

"Name him after me, call him Adonis" Draco said with a smirk. Ron rolled his eyes.

Hermione looked up and blinked her tears away; she held the kitten right in front of her face and peered at it. "Yes, I think I will call him Adonis" she said seriously.

Draco laughed and Ron snorted in disbelief.

"Oh Ron thank you so much!" Hermione cried again, jumping up and hugging Ron once more. Draco began to fear for the poor kitten that was probably getting smashed between them.

"I know after…anyway. I thought you needed him" Ron said unclearly. But Hermione seemed to understand, she nodded. Pleased to tears as she stroked the kittens red ginger hair.

Weasley simply had to get a damn red cat. Not a white one? No it had to be red. Draco rolled his eye and waited for the friendly mush to subside.

He watched Weasley kiss her cheek with an unpleasantness in his stomach, "I'll see you tonight at the burrow as usual right?" Weasley asked.

"Yeah, if my parents come home…I don't know. I'll owl you" Hermione said unsurely.

"Alright, I'll leave you to your friend. He's glaring daggers at me" Ron said motioning to Draco. Hermione nodded and watched Ron walk back towards the leaky cauldron.

She sat back down on the bench and held the kitten possessively. "What was that all about?" Draco asked in confusion.

Hermione sighed, "I lost Crookshanks during the war, and he sacrificed himself for me by jumping at a killing curse headed my way"

"Your cat?" Draco asked in disbelief.

"He was dreadfully smart" Hermione admitted.

Draco could not imagine anyone jumping in front of a killing curse for him, much less a cat. It must have been some damn intelligent feline to have saved Hermione's life. He watched Hermione gently touch the small mewing kitten, and he could see the joy on her face. She looked content, and happy, on the verge of tears.

He reached out and ran his fingers down the kittens back, "Will you really name him Adonis?" Draco asked skeptically.

"I already have" Hermione replied serenely.

Draco decided to change the subject, "So your parents aren't back yet?" he asked casually. Honestly surprised when he had seen Hermione and Weasley walking around. He had assumed she would have been with her parents.

Hermione looked down at her watch, it was near eleven. "They very well could be home by now. But they were terribly late this morning. And I got frustrated with waiting for them, so I left" she said with an edge to her tone. Draco could practically taste the bitterness on her tongue.

"Didn't they think to owl you, or use one of those muggle type things?" Draco asked motioning with his hands.

"No they didn't. I got no call whatsoever from them. Clearly they don't care about how I feel" she spat, now rubbing the kitten in a rougher way.

Draco took the animal from her hands and placed it in his own lap, Hermione didn't protest. "They probably had problems getting home, and they didn't want to worry you, or perhaps they just couldn't reach you?" Draco suggested trying to calm her.

"Maybe" Hermione replied, but she didn't sound very convinced at all. In fact, she sounded more resentful than before.

"Why don't we go back to your place, see if your mother and father have arrived, and get Adonis settled in? If your parents aren't back, come with me to the manor and we can help my mother garden?" he suggested kindly.

Hermione relented and stood. "You're right, I shouldn't be getting all worked up over nothing" she said.

That was not what Draco had said, but he agreed with his imaginary words all the same. Hermione just needed a little break. She was supposed to be thoroughly enjoying herself right now. Not worrying about silly things. She would have time to do that when school began again. And he was sure that Hermione would be on his back about schoolwork in no time.

He took her arm and apparated them to her home.

* * *

They both stared at the empty driveway. "They would have taken a cab" Hermione said simply. She opened the iron gate and stepped inside her homes perimeter. She turned when she saw Draco wasn't following her. "Oh right" she mumbled coming back to him and grabbing his arm; she pulled him through and closed the gate behind her.

"Those are some strong wards you have their Granger" he said casually.

"I haven't really considered changing them" she admitted, "I suppose we must have been touching last night if it let you through"

"Oh we were touching" he added with a small wink.

Hermione fumbled with her keys and opened the door. Trying to remain unaffected by his comment. She was secretly hoping he would touch her now.

The hallway was empty, no bags, and no shoes. They entered her home and kicked off their shoes. Hermione walked toward the kitchen and Draco walked unsurely behind her, this was new territory to him.

Hermione's not remained untouched on the fridge door. The empty coffee cups still in the sink. She was so confused. There was no way she got the wrong date; she had talked to her mother the night before. They should have been home by now, unless something horrible happened. Hermione quickly removed the thought from her mind and walked into the living room. Empty, the whole house was completely empty.

Draco also appeared to be speechless for he said nothing. Instead she felt his warm hands on her bare shoulders. Reminding her to keep her head intact. "Don't worry; I'm sure everything is fine. If there was a problem, you would have been notified. Did you try calling their number in Australia?" he asked.

"Why would I do that? They're supposed to be coming home?" Hermione said in confusion.

"It wouldn't hurt to try, perhaps their flight was canceled, and I'm not sure how air-planers work, but they can probably break down" he said squeezing her shoulders.

Hermione nodded and let his hands fall from her; she grabbed the phone and pressed speed dial two. It ran for two minutes before someone picked up, much to her surprise.

"Hello?"

"Dad?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"Ah…hey pumpkin" he said tersely.

"So, why aren't you in England? And why didn't you phone me? I've been waiting, worried sick all day about you and mom. Wondering what could have kept you from me. Believing it impossible that you wouldn't call me should something have happened. Unable to understand and beginning to wonder if you were hurt, or even alive!" her voice reached a painful crescendo and Draco took a step back.

Hermione went silent, the phone hung limply in her fingers as he listened to the mumble coming from the speaker. He couldn't discern what was being said. But the look on Hermione's face was enough to tell him that it wasn't what she wanted to hear. The phone dropped from her fingers and clattered on the floor.

She turned to Draco in complete shock, "They're not coming back" she whispered.


	7. Incredulous

**Chapter Seven: ****Incredulous**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

"What do you mean?" Draco asked incredulously.

Hermione stumbled to the couch and fell heavily upon it, she looked positively broken. "I mean, they are not coming back" she repeated tersely.

"Today?" Draco said sitting down next to her. He placed his cool hand on her warm leg, willing her to remain coherent.

Hermione turned to him. Her eyes were wide as saucers and lips wretchedly slack "At all" she said softly.

Draco was rendered speechless. He didn't understand. What did she mean by 'at all'? Was that to say that her parents planned to remain in Australia forever?

Hermione looked back down to her lap, or to be more exact, she looked at his hand upon her leg. Just above her knee, his fingers splayed and cool, keeping her in check.

"Did they say why?" Draco asked.

"Robert" Draco took this to be her father "said that he and Margaret" her mother "still needed time to understand. He said that being near me would not help the situation. He also said that he still loved me. But I don't understand. How can they understand if they don't want my explanations? How can they love me if they refuse to return to me?" she asked.

There were no answers to her questions. But Draco was asking himself the same things. Could these people really be her parents? Granger was a nice and kind girl. He always expected her parents to be the kind of people who upheld those very values. He expected her dad to drink brandy, and her mother to bake cookies. It seemed like that ideal family structure. He just couldn't understand these people. How could they leave their daughter so coldly? They must have not understood what really happened during the war if they were fine with ignoring her. To not even call her, to not even let her know they were staying…it was sick. They allowed Granger to worry and fret over their wellbeing while they remained safely in Australia.

"I'm sorry" he said in true remorse.

"You needn't be, it wasn't your fault" Hermione sighed into her hands "But don't you dare feel sorry for me. I won't be accepting pity" she warned.

"I don't pity you, I sympathies with you" Draco corrected with a small smile. "So what now?" he asked unsurely.

"Nothing. I move on with my life, I'll begin to search for a home of my own immediately. I'm of age, I need to get out of here anyway" she said composedly.

"Come stay in my home" Draco offered.

"Draco" Hermione sighed in exasperation "I haven't even properly met your parents; I can't possibly come into your home like that. Besides, I'm not so sure your parents like me" she added bitterly.

"I don't know about my father, but my mother likes you. I thought that was clear from last night. Come on, please. I hate the thought of you remaining her alone. I have many rooms for you to choose from, we have a beautiful lake, wide gardens, and a giant library" he added with raised brows.

Hermione pursed her lips, the Malfoy's were sure to have a nice library… but it was the principal of the matter. She couldn't invade their home; she didn't even know them very well. If she was to stay at anybodies home, she would always be at the Weasley's. She would talk about it with Harry and Ron and see what they thought.

It was upsetting that she wasn't even that upset. More than anything Hermione was in a state of shock. But she did not feel distressed. Hermione had been gone a full year now from her parents. And she had seen them a month ago when she returned their memories. Perhaps she should have left them as they were. It seemed that they were happy to be oblivious. She had detached herself from them. She was no longer her parent's child by any other force than genetics. Growing up, moving on.

"I'll come to your home today, just to spend some time with you…but I'll have to think about whether I'll be able to stay there" Hermione said.

Draco beamed, "That's fine with me" he knew he had her with the library. If he showed it to her today, she would never leave it.

"I just…" she sighed in frustration. Angry tears were welling in the corners of her eyes "It just…" it was impossible for her to put into words what she felt.

"You feel abandoned, betrayed by those whom you always though you could trust. Potter and Weasley are wonderful, but they can't compare to the people who willed you into the world and raised you to the best of their ability" Draco said knowingly.

"Yeah" Hermione agreed with a small nod.

* * *

"Hermione!" Narcissa called standing up from her knees and brushing off her dress "How are you my dear?" she asked breathlessly wiping her forehead.

Hermione's eyes scattered about her surroundings. The Malfoy grounds felt like a chapter from _Alice in Wonderland_Colours of all shades sprinkled about the fields. Fruit trees littered the hills. It was beautiful and exotic, reminiscent and dangerous. The sweet scents of summer wafted across her, sending her dress rippling in the breeze. "I'm well, thank you" Hermione said with a smile as the older woman approached.

"I didn't realize you would be coming today, I might have prepared us tea by now" Narcissa said pursing her lips and wiping her forehead again, smearing dirt upon herself.

Even covered in sweat and dirt, Narcissa Malfoy still managed to look stunning. Hermione admired her long soft hair and colored skin. She looked like different woman from the one Hermione had known for many years. This was a woman alive, someone who had received a second chance for life. Hermione knew that Narcissa had helped Harry in the end.

"Peanut!" Narcissa called loudly.

An elf in crisp green linen appeared before her.

"Could you please prepare some peppermint tea for Miss Granger and I" Narcissa said wiping her hands on her pants.

"Yes, Madame" Peanut bowed before disappearing again.

Hermione smiled graciously.

Narcissa was looking behind Hermione, "Where has my son gone to? Oh well, no matter. Come inside Miss Granger. I must clean up and then we can take our tea on the porch" she said sweetly.

Hermione followed her happily, allowing herself to delude for a moment and pretend it was her own mother she would be having tea with.

* * *

Her hand clasped over her lips as she laughed airily. "Hermione dear, how dreadful. But it all ended well, did it not?" Narcissa asked.

"I guess so" Hermione shrugged sipping her tea. She had just recounted her whole story of Ron to Narcissa and she felt immensely better. Narcissa's hand was on her knee, soothingly squeezing.

"That is life my dear. Sometimes, the same men you would die for, you come to realize you no longer love. Even so, I'm sure Mr. Weasley is still your great friend" she said with a small smile.

"He is, it would be ridiculous for us to not be friends anymore. We were friends for longer than we were…whatever it was that we were. I mean, it could have been awkward, it could have been ugly, but that would have passed too… I guess I'm glad that Ron realized his feelings before we got in too deep. Perhaps that's why it was so easy" Hermione mused.

Tea in one hand, saucer in her other, Narcissa sat silently and nodded. She was a listener and observer, and Hermione just needed someone to listen for a bit. "I understand it all" she sighed.

Hermione bit her lip unsurely; she looked at empty tea cup and placed it gently on the glass table. "Narcissa, are you and Mr. Malfoy still married?" Hermione asked.

Narcissa nodded. Her face was blank, but behind her eyes her mind was churning. "Yes…we are. Although I wouldn't call it a marriage; Lucius hasn't been the same since the war ended. His money bailed him out, and the fact that he is partially senile. They don't consider him a harm. So…what's marriage?" she asked with a sad smile. Hermione could see the bitterness about the corners of her lips. This was a heavy topic to think about. But Hermione could not imagine what it was like to live with someone in that state.

"He just wanders around on his own. He doesn't acknowledge Draco or I…it seems as though he received the Kiss. But everything is for the best, right?" Narcissa laughed.

Hermione nodded, but then she realized that it was not a rhetorical statement. But rather a direct question Narcissa wanted clarified. "It's sad that things had to work out this way, but, you can't change it" Hermione frowned "Perhaps now we're going to receive the peace we all need"

The sun beat heavily upon them as they sat under the small shade of the veranda. Hermione was silent in her own thoughts about her parents, Ron, Draco… Narcissa was mourning the death of her husband fifteen years ago. Fifteen years ago, when Draco was three, the man she had married had left her. And in his place had come a stranger.

* * *

Draco was sitting in the kitchen, staring at the counter. He knew Hermione needed a mother right now. And since her own had given up the role, he was more than willing to offer his mother. He couldn't imagine how she was feeling. Draco had lost a father years ago, but he had always had his mother. Through the good and the bad she had attempted to instill important values in him. She had always been then for him to cry to.

He sighed and placed his cheek on the counter. The marble was cool and felt fresh on his hot face. What was he doing?

Sure he liked Hermione. But this was not him. In fact, this was anything but the Draco he had been living with for years. The Draco he knew would never have asked out a Granger. It was an impossible matter. And yet, there she was, on his veranda, with his mother, drinking tea.

Who was this Draco, and was he better than the other? This Draco was defiantly more open, more risqué with his feelings. Thinking back on everything, it all seemed rather surreal. Leaving the safe cover of the deatheaters to join the Order seemed insane now. Almost getting himself and his mother killed by his actions and carelessness. Risking his neck, and for whom, for the good side. Befriending Longbottom, Lovegood, and Weasley; Ginerva that was. It seemed thoughtless.

Like a giant vortex in his life. Two years of nothingness that he couldn't remember, but could only look back upon as though it were a book. It was scary, but something he was proud of. In the end, it was the right choice. Draco knew he could no longer be with the deatheaters, it was not his choice it was his fathers. If it were up to him, he would have remained neutral and stayed away from the fighting. But that was not an option; it was getting killed, or joining the other side. His foolishness demanded of him to show his father that he was his own person, so he did the unlimited betrayal and went to the other side. And he did not regret it.

Draco jumped off his barstool to go and check on his mother and Granger. He walked out of the kitchen and to the hall, but was stopped by the appearance of a white owl on his banister. Potter's owl… He pulled the note off its leg and watched the bird fly down his hallway and out the open back French doors.

He sat down the mahogany steps leading up to the bedrooms and unrolled the parchment.

_Malfoy, _

_You and Hermione are required to attend dinner at the Weasley's tonight at 5:00 pm sharp. There is an important Order meeting that has been called by Dumbledore. Don't bother asking me what it is about, I do not know. You'll just have to come to find out. _

_Harry Potter_

Draco's lips creased disdainfully. What now? Did Dumbledore want to rid of every single deatheater? There were many who managed to escape the Order and the Ministry. But it seemed illogical to hunting them all down. Perhaps it was another party of some sort that was a surprise.

Not likely, it was probably about taking out the trash and leaving a complete clean slate. Draco grumbled and rolled the parchment back up again. He wouldn't have time for ridding of deatheaters; he had school in two months. He wouldn't partake in this. He knew Granger wouldn't either.

* * *

He watched her face as she read the short note. Her lips were pursed and eyebrows raised, "Deatheaters?" she asked looking up.

Draco shrugged, "I have no idea. That was my theory too. Unless we're going to turn into a secret squad that goes about saving wizards lives for no recognition" he rolled his eyes.

"Like Spiderman, Batman, or Superman?" Hermione asked lightly folding the note and placing it in her pocket.

"What mutants are those?" Draco asked with a scrunched nose, "What kinds of experiments do you odd muggles partake in?" he frowned.

"They're comic books" Hermione said rolling her eyes.

"You turn people into books?" he asked incredulously following her back outside.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry the chapter was so short. I originally had it all as one chapter. But it was too much info all at once, so I split it into two. Next chapter the plot actually beings. I have really long prologues, but you need some back info before I lunge into the meat. Here we go! 


	8. Preparations

**Chapter Eight: ****Preparations**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

"Draco, shut up now. We don't turn people into books. We make up characters and then draw their lives out" she explained in exasperation as she helped carry the tea tray back into the kitchen.

"What is the point of that?" Draco frowned.

"There is no point, it's a sorry excuse for literature" Hermione replied coolly.

"It's a book, you love all books. Don't tell me you discriminate books?" he grinned as he opened the door for her.

"Just because I enjoy reading does not mean I enjoy reading all types of books. I hate romance novels" Hermione replied smartly as she walked past him. Draco followed her in and let the door swing shut behind them.

"Don't lie…I remember watching you read some lovey dovey book last year while we sat in headquarters" Draco said snidely.

Hermione set down the tray and turned on him, "That was Jane Austen! It was a perfectly respectable book and a fine piece of literature!" she said heatedly, placing her hands on her hips.

Draco raised his hands in surrender, "I was just having a bit of fun poking at you. No need to bite my head off" he frowned.

"I take books very seriously" Hermione replied solemnly.

"I can see that" Draco mumbled under his breath. He looked up at the clock "its half past four. Will you be changing before we leave for dinner?" he asked.

Hermione turned and frowned at him "Changing? What for?" she asked.

"Oh right, I forgot. Dinner at the burrow. You wouldn't change for that" he smirked.

She stuck out her tongue in annoyance, "Not worth it, since they'll all most likely be playing Quidditch afterwards and Ginny and I will be left on our own" she explained.

"Why doesn't Ginerva play Quidditch too?" Draco asked as he sat on the counter.

Hermione pushed him off and then replied, "Firstly, don't call her _Ginerva_, that's awkward. Secondly, she keeps me company, since I'm the only one there who doesn't play Quidditch"

"Because you're scared of flying" Draco smirked.

"At least I'm not scared of the Weasley's" Hermione replied with a smirk of her own.

Draco followed her out of the kitchen whining all the while "There's so many of them! Who wouldn't be scared! It's like a plague all those freckles…"

* * *

The meal went over fairly talkatively. It seemed as though the meeting was not quite as serious as Harry had made it sound. But then again, Dumbledore had yet to make an appearance. Hermione took another serving of funnel cake from Mrs. Weasley and looked to the burrow door. She seemed to be the only outright anxious one.

Thoughts and questions just kept running through her mind. What was happening? Was it deatheaters? Was there a new issue? Was it something simple? Was it another party? Was Dumbledore Chinese? Hermione did not know and it was terrifying her.

"Hermione, chill" Draco said as he accepted more food from Mrs. Weasley "There's no point in worry about this until you figure out what it is about" he said logically.

Hermione ignored him and kept her eyes on the door. It was almost seven now and she could feel the agitation in the others two. People were apprehensive and nervous for Dumbledore's appearance.

Finally at ten after seven the door opened and a weary Dumbledore entered. The table went silent as he came and stood at the north end of the table. He looked tired, and worried. The mood fell instantly and Draco was eating his own words from earlier. Maybe this was a reason to fret. They all waited for Dumbledore to say something. Finally Mrs. Weasley broke the silence.

"Would you like some food Albus?" she asked cautiously.

"No thank you Molly. I am afraid that I am here strictly on business, not for pleasure" he replied looking up. His body went into pondering mode, his hands joined together flatly and his chin rested on his fingertips. He began carefully "There has been news…or rather activity occurring lately. Dark magic has been traced all about England in the past week"

"Is it minor?" Hermione blurted out. She clapped her hands over her mouth as everybody's gazes fell upon her "Sorry" she mouthed.

Dumbledore looked to her vaguely, as though she wasn't really there, "No it is not minor in the least Miss Granger. It has showed on the ministry radar as surprisingly strong magic, this is no simple blip. There have been large amounts of dark goings-on in England, Bristol, and Wiltshire. You can see why this is disturbing, can you not?" he asked looking about the table, this was no rhetorical question, he demanded an answer.

"Because such large traces of magic cannot be done by a few, we're talking hundreds of participants" Hermione frowned looking at her funnel cake, no longer hungry.

"Exactly, but, this might just be deatheater uprising. Almost none were sent to Azkaban since we were unable to incriminate them with such lack of evidence. The rest paid their way out of trouble…it's very possible that it's just deatheaters…so no need for immediate panic. Because deatheaters alone are like chickens without heads…" Dumbledore explained to the stunned table. Some were relieved, but Hermione remained skeptical.

"Professor?" Hermione asked hesitantly, "If you don't mind me asking…why would so many deatheaters rebel pointlessly, unless they have something to rally themselves around?"

Dumbledore's face went stone cold. "I do believe that is the question of the night Miss Granger" he replied, "Why indeed? If Voldemort is dead, then why do they feel the need to show themselves? And let's not fool ourselves; these deatheaters want to be seen. Magic of that magnitude it clearly going to be seen by the ministry, so 'why' as well? I'm afraid I cannot answer this right now"

"Because they have something to congregate about. They are trying to show the ministry that they are not defeated. What if…what if Voldemort had some back up plan in the case of his death?" Hermione asked nervously. She was afraid that her answer might cause angry outbursts from people. Nobody said anything; they all looked to Dumbledore for an answer.

"We've considered the possibility…but we would not know where to start with researching it" Dumbledore sighed.

"You don't reckon he had a kid?" Harry asked nervously.

"Possible and impossible. Voldemort has never been around a woman in his life, but it would have been an intelligent failsafe. Who would expect Voldemort to have a child? And more importantly, how would one know that it was his child? We wouldn't know what the woman looked like, and would the child resemble Tom? Or would the father's identity be lost?" Dumbledore questioned.

"What if it's not his biological kid?" Draco asked quietly.

"Have you heard something about it Draco?" Dumbledore asked leaning forward in curiosity.

"No, but it doesn't seem impossible. Voldemort has asked deatheaters to sacrifice their children for other reasons, why not this one?" He suggested.

"It will all be looked into. So far, there have been no outright protests from these people. Nor have they publically tried anything. But I thought it best to leave you wary to the possibilities" Dumbledore said gravely.

"Why did you wait a week to tell us?" Harry asked with a sigh.

Dumbledore had no reply to this.

The whole table fell into troubled silence as everyone considered the things that had been said. Did Voldemort really have some sort of failsafe? Did he leave something behind in the case of his death? Or did he never think that his horocruxes would be destroyed. Because after all, weren't his horocruxes his backup plan? Would he have two?

While it all seemed farfetched and unlikely, it did not seem as unlikely as splitting your soul into many pieces. So who was to say it was impossible. This left Hermione uneasy. Very uneasy. While Voldemort's plans may have been deniable, the dark magic being traced was not. It was clearly happening and it was a threat.

Only deatheaters were so accomplished at such magic, there was no refuting this. But why? Voldemort left them something. But what? These thoughts continued to run through Hermione's head.

"Hermione, come on outside. They boys are going to go blow off some steam playing Quidditch, and we should get out of here. The adults want to talk" Ginny whispered in her ear.

"Yeah" Hermione replied as she stood slowly out of her chair and followed Ginny blindly out of the house. She couldn't shake her fears. It was all repeating and it was something Hermione did not want to live through again. What a shitty day for her. Hermione wasn't one for self pity, but she deserved it.

Ginny sat her down on the bench in the back garden.

"Did your parents arrive?" she asked casually as Hermione sat herself down as well. She smoothed her dress before answering.

"No" Hermione replied, slowly sobering up.

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked in surprise.

"They decided to not return, and after what I heard tonight, it's probably better that they didn't" she replied unemotionally. Hermione looked down into her lap and took a deep breath, trying to get her emotions under control. She was not a blubbering idiot. She was a smart and ration girl. Crying was useless.

"Why?" Ginny asked softly. She didn't mean 'why' as in 'why is it better?', but 'why' as in 'why do you say those things?' Only problem was that Hermione didn't understand the difference.

"They…just can't handle all of this. I still don't think they are over what I did. And especially what I did to them. They can't understand why I wasn't honest about everything, but how could I be! They wouldn't have understood that I needed to fight. They don't understand that I did it for them. I'm beginning to wonder if I fried their brains with that memory charm" Hermione grimaced looking up at the setting sky.

"Why would you say that?" Ginny asked in distress and she pulled her legs to her chest. Hermione's coldness was disturbing. To hear her so calm about something so…emotional was unlike her. It left Ginny uncomfortable. It was unhealthy to keep so much in.

"Because I've lost my parents. These people are not the parents I knew before. They just don't care about me. Do you know they didn't even call ahead of time to tell me they weren't arriving? I was nearly on the brink of tears before I phoned them in Australia, on Draco's insistence, to find them still there. And they so coldly told me they weren't returning, hell…my dad didn't even care that I was upset about the whole thing" she explained with a sad chuckle.

Ginny draped an arm around Hermione's shoulders comfortingly; unsure of what else she could do to help the situation. And there wasn't much. "Don't worry, you still have me, and you can always share my family. My parents are dying to adopt you and Harry" she said lightly.

Hermione laughed softly, but unconvincingly, "I know" she said.

A few minuets passed in silence as they watched the darkening blurs flying about in the field ahead.

"So…what did you think about that meeting?" Ginny asked far more somberly.

"I've over-thought it already. And I think its very bad news" Hermione said simply.

"I know Hermione; I understand your doubts and questions. Hell, we're all worried. You know, what if this isn't over. What if this just the beginning of another war to come?" Ginny asked tiredly "It's all possible, and it scares me. We've had such a timid and nervous peace, we're all barely scrapping by. Would people be able to live through it again? I don't know" she whispered.

"Maybe Dumbledore is right. Why should we worry just yet? We shouldn't forget it. This should be kept in mind as a possibility. But as of now, this all seems like basic auror duties. I don't think we should take everything personally until it's necessary" Hermione said rationally.

"I know. But it's hard for us, isn't it. Being saviors and all. We're just like that. We crave the suspense and danger" Ginny laughed.

Hermione smiled tightly, "Maybe you do. But I wouldn't mind just living plainly. To have a fulfilling job, a boyfriend, someday a family…that's all I ask for. To not fear for my life when I exit my house and to be able to walk around alone…" Hermione sighed.

"Someday" Ginny laughed.

"Soon for you" Hermione replied.

"Yeah…I can't believe I'm getting married and so young…" she replied dreamily glancing at her giant ring again.

"I think it's wonderful. It would be nice to be a young mother. Have your child at seventeen, when you become legal…be attractive when your kid is eighteen" Hermione mused.

"I would like to go to school" Ginny reminded her.

"Yeah, but we have your mom. I'm sure she'd love grandkids to look after, you could pop out a few and still go to school" Hermione grinned.

"Alright, I'll get on that tonight" Ginny said rolling her eyes.

* * *

"Thanks for trying to make me feel better by crashing into that bush" Hermione said pursing her lips to hide her smile. She leant against the porch frame and crossed her arms.

"Yeah, well at least you laughed" Draco said bitterly, the moment was still embarrassing and tender to touch "Anyway, I'm sorry about your parents, I really am. And if you want to take me up on my offer to stay at the manor, I'm still open to accept you" Draco said seriously.

"I'll think about it" Hermione replied, "I like your mom well enough. But I don't know that it would be the best idea. You can see how the Weasley's might not like the idea" Hermione smiled graciously.

"I know. But it's not up to them. Whatever though. If you are more comfortable here, that's okay with me. Just so long as I can visit you when I want" he demanded.

"The Weasley's would be glad to have you whenever you dropped by" Hermione said seriously.

"I'll be doing just that then" he smiled silkily.

"I supposed I'll probably end up seeing you tomorrow" Hermione said rolling her eyes.

"You just can't get enough of my smooth charms, toned body-"

"Dirty knees, arrogant attitude, horrid flying skills? You know what I like" Hermione laughed.

He stepped up on the first step until he was level with her face "Do you think they're watching?" he asked looking to the windows. The blind were down, but that wouldn't stop the Weasley's in the least.

"I wouldn't put it past them, I'm sure that Fred and George are listening" Hermione said nonchalantly.

"In that case…" Draco leaned forward, placing his hands gently on either side of her waist, the fabric of her dress creasing under his hands. He kissed her softly and shortly, his lips pressing against hers sweetly. Hermione could smell him and it was the nicest part of her day, she placed her hands on his shoulders. Their little display was enough to earn an audible groan from inside the house. Hermione burst out in laughter.

He kept his hands on her waist and spoke quietly, "Be careful, I don't want you to get hurt, so stay on your toes" he replied.

"Ditto for you" Hermione replied smoothing his flyaway hair.

* * *

Hermione lay awake next to Ginny in the wee hours of the morning. She had explained to the Weasley's that her parents weren't returning…probably ever. It had not gone over well. It was matched with fights and threats to drag them back to England by their ears, and then to promises of adoption and staying at the Weasley's until she graduated from the Healer academy.

Hermione thought about Draco. That boy seemed to be the only thing keeping her sane. Simply because he was the most trivial thing in her life. With so much happening, it was nice to think about something as simple as a boyfriend. Or what he said to her, or what he did, or how he kissed. It took her mind off the greater issues, if only for a moment.

She turned on her side and frowned at Ginny, who was also awake and staring back at her. "So much for getting on that baby making" Hermione whispered with a smile.

"Harry does have an invisibility cloak you know" Ginny teased poking her under the covers.

"Ginny, that's gross…not while I'm in the room. _Never_, while I'm in the room" Hermione said seriously. Ginny laughed at her. "What, I had to listen to you and Draco smooch, the twins had it on full blast inside the house" she grimaced.

Hermione covered her face in mortification, "Oh, it didn't sound that gross did it?" she asked.

"No, it was more like the boys' ideas about what could have been happening, that grossed me out a little" she admitted.

"Fair enough" Hermione smiled.

"We should sleep" Ginny sighed.

"Yeah" Hermione agreed.

Hermione closed her eyes, and she turned. The she turned and cleared her throat, and then turned over again and opened her eyes.

"Can't sleep?" Ginny asked.

"Clearly" Hermione replied.

"Any specific reason?" Ginny asked.

"Disquiet, and Draco telling me to stay on my toes" Hermione replied.

"It will pass" Ginny said waving it away.

* * *

"Get up!" Ginny yelped as a loud thump echoed behind Hermione's ears.

Hermione sat up quickly. Her heart pounding and her eyes swimming unfocusedly. She crawled out of her bed and stood by Ginny, "What?" she asked fearfully looking around the room, nothing different was noticeable. It was still dark and Hermione was disoriented and confused.

"We have to leave" Ginny said seriously as she began to pull on her jeans "Mom just crashed into the room and told us to meet her downstairs. I thought you heard but…"

Hermione didn't ask what was happening. She knew there would be time for questions later. The seriousness in Ginny's voice was enough to snap her into reality. Hermione pulled on her dress and shoes. She grabbed her wand which sat on the bedside table and then looked at Ginny.

"Quickly, let's head downstairs" Ginny said. She grabbed Hermione by the wrist and dragged her down to the first floor. Hermione noticed there was much dust falling from the ceilings and the floors were shaking. But that maybe have just been the stampede of people running downstairs. She and Ginny ran into the living room and stopped short at the sight. Half of the north wall was missing, the brick fireplace bending awkwardly, unsupported.

"Come girls" Mr. Weasley said urgently beckoning them towards him by the table. Hermione and Ginny rushed over, "Take this" he said shoving a stirring spoon in their hands. Hermione and Ginny gripped the wooden utensil and not a moment later they were being pulled elsewhere.

A hard surface connected with Hermione's rear, she had forgotten to brace herself for the landing. It was dark and she could barely hear Ginny's breathing over the pounding in her chest. "Where are we?" Hermione asked quietly.

The light flicked on and Hermione and Ginny saw they were sitting in what looked to be a dungeon, Mrs. Weasley stood at the door. "Come on, into the kitchen" she said ushering them out of the stone room.

"Where's the kitchen?" Ginny asked, "Correction, where are we?"

"Dumbledore's safe house, it's the new headquarter for the Order" Mrs. Weasley explained as she swerved through long lavish hallways. The two girls followed her.

"Why don't we know about this place?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"Well, there was no reason for you to know. I've only been here twice myself" Mrs. Weasley said briskly. Hermione could tell her mind was elsewhere. "I hope Arthur was able to return safely" she mumbled to herself.

"What happened back there?" Ginny asked speeding up in order to catch up with her mother's quick frantic steps.

"Everything will be explained in due time, through that door ahead, I'll see you later" Molly Weasley said pointing to the large door in an antechamber. She turned and walked back the way she came.

Hermione and Ginny looked at one another. "I guess we should go in" Hermione said breathlessly. She was confused and her head was spinning with half chewed information. They had been attacked, she did not know how, or by whom, but it was clearly an attack upon the Weasley residence.

She and Ginny pushed opened the door and entered to find the rest of the Weasley family sitting around a large table arguing. Their entrance went unnoticed, so they sat silently at the end of the table. Harry was missing from the crowd. Ginny noticed this too. "Where is Harry?" she asked bringing her hands up to her face.

"Don't worry" Hermione said tersely, "He's probably with Dumbledore right now…" she wasn't sure if she believed it herself.

Eventually an intense silence came about. Every member of the room looking around edgily. Apparently nobody had many answers. Fred and George looked awkwardly solemn, Ron was confused, and Percy was frantically tapping on the table.

"What happened?" Hermione ventured.

"We were attacked, damn Dumbledore for keeping this from us" Ron said heatedly.

"The wards were cracked; half of the house fell apart. I think we were all lucky to manage to get out before any more damage was done" George said.

"Deatheaters" Fred said answering the unasked question. It hung thick in the air.

"What now?" Hermione asked looking around the table.

The door burst open and Dumbledore walked in briskly.

"The deatheaters are back…it seems Voldemort had more backing preparations than we though" he said gravely.


	9. DND

**Chapter Nine****: DND**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Potter, Harry, or any of his bits. Trust me; I'm sure they're not much.

* * *

Hermione placed her ring finger into her mouth and chewed on it frantically. Everything felt so surreal, why, in a moment she would be awake in bed with Ginny beside her, snoring lightly. Why, in a moment it would be morning and the smell of pancakes would be wafting by her nose as Mrs. Weasley screamed in the kitchen. 

"What's the problem?" Ron asked leaning towards Dumbledore who sat at the head of the table.

Dumbledore sighed deeply and rubbed his temples with his long thin fingers, "The dark mark has been flying over houses" he said tersely.

"But, it's probably just deatheaters making havoc, right?" Ginny asked wringing her hands.

"No, you misunderstood me. When I meant homes, I meant hundreds of homes" he clarified. The room went silent; Hermione could hear the buzzing in her ears.

"The free deatheaters would not be doing this so foolishly. Not without guarantee of success" George said shaking his head.

"Success?" Percy asked with a nervous swallow.

"Oh god" Hermione cried placing her hands over her mouth, "Not this again, we don't even know what is going on this time around!"

"Now Miss Granger, do calm yourself. I'm not saying the war is back. That is rather unlikely. But as mentioned earlier it is possible that there is a new leader in Voldemort's place" Dumbledore suggested prudently.

The door opened and Harry burst into the room, his eyes were wild and a panic dancing on his features, "he's not back, is he?" he asked in a dead whisper. From behind him entered Lupin, Kingsley and the Weasley's "I saw the dark mark everywhere. Over all of my neighbor's houses".

"Sit Harry" Miss Weasley insisted pushing him to the table. She looked weary, and Mr. Weasley appeared to be injured as he held his left arm in his right.

Harry sat in-between Hermione and Ginny, an anxious look still upon his face. The rest also took spots around the table. Everyone looked to Dumbledore for an ultimate answer.

"We have suffered a massive attack. A surprise attack if you will. The deatheaters went out tonight on a rampage killing wizards and muggles as quickly and efficiently as possible" Dumbledore explained.

"Randomly?" Ron asked hopefully.

"I should think not" Hermione replied sadly.

Dumbledore nodded, "Not arbitrarily, not in the least. The people killed were all in connection with the order, some were actual members. They are attempting to cleanse us"

"Did they succeed?" Harry asked nervously.

Dumbledore shook his head, "People are wary, the world will never be as safe as it was back in the day. The deatheaters underestimated this. They charged peoples homes but were repelled with wards, and most people were able to escape. But saying that…with the number of houses marked… This was an attack historic in proportion"

"Oh…how many people are you suspecting were attacked?" Hermione asked gripping the wooden table with her fingers.

"Thousands Hermione, thousands" he sighed tiredly, rubbing his eyes.

"An attack that large had to be carefully orchestrated!" Hermione exclaimed loudly.

"Which brings us back to who is leading the deatheaters now? Clearly this has been in planning for a while. So did we just miss this other person during the war? Have they been lying low for two months? Who is this wizard? We have to find him. Who on earth would Voldemort leave in his stead" Kingsley said in his booming voice.

"We can't prove there is a person. As wonderful as this explanation is…it holds no water without any proof" Remus said with a frown. His hair seemed to have grown grayer in the last week.

"So what, we're without any possible advances or proof? There's nothing we can do then but guess?" Percy said grimly "I don't know that guessing is enough. We need to find some concrete information, but where do we start?" he asked looking about the table. All he received were frowns and bitten lips.

"Simple enough Mr. Weasley, we start with the people who would know best, the deatheaters" Dumbledore said calmly. His blue eyes were twinkling with the anticipation of a good plan.

* * *

"What do you reckon is going on in there?" Hermione asked as she, Harry and the rest of the Weasley clan sat on the stairs. The adults were in the kitchen, their yelling muffled by a badly placed silencing charm. 

The stairs were long and winding, much like the rest of the house. They had been kicked out of the kitchen and told to explore. But they had only made it halfway up the stairs before stopping to listen.

"Whatever it is, they don't seem to really agree upon it" George said rummaging in his pockets. "Damn it! I didn't bring any ears" he whined. He looked to Fred expectantly.

"Nope" Fred said pulling his pockets inside out. "I guess we just won't know this one until they tell us" he shrugged.

"I don't like this" Hermione whispered as she leaned against the balustrade jadedly.

"None of us do. We worked so hard to free people from that hell, and now it's back? I've just gotten used to the idea of being able to walk around alone" Ginny muttered. Harry sighed and placed an arm around her shoulders comfortingly.

"Don't worry Gin, it will be okay" he promised quietly giving her a gentle squeeze. Nobody could hope to believe him in the moment, no matter if he was the boy wonder.

Hermione looked at her watch; it was near five in the morning. "I need sleep, don't know about you guys" she yawned standing, "but Ginny kept me up until the wee hours of the morning"

"Don't lie!" Ginny said with a scowl.

Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"Don't exaggerate" Ginny corrected herself, "I need sleep too. I think it would do us all some good" she said quickly, standing.

They walked up the long set of stairs and entered a long winding hall.

"This is Dumbledore's house?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, looks like it too" Harry replied as they walked down the hall. The walls were covered in portraits of old Dumbledore's from years ago. Most of the males resembled the Dumbledore they knew very closely. The portraits eyes followed them down the hall. They began to open random rooms in hopes of finding bedrooms.

"This one has my name on it" Fred exclaimed as he walked further down the hall. He opened the room and stepped inside, it was fit for living. A large bed, en suite kitchen, and a door that must have lead to a bathroom.

"Ooh" George said looking over his twins shoulder "Where's mine?" he asked walking further down the hall.

As they continued to walk they found that all of the doors had their respective owner's names on them. "Wow, Dumbledore really thought this through" George frowned.

"Frightening isn't it?" Harry asked as he reached his door "Night guys" he said with a sad smile. George walked over to him and rubbed his head.

"We need all the good luck we can get now" he explained. Harry swatted his hand away with a scowl as he closed the door.

"Night Harry" Hermione said as the door shut. She and George continued down the hall in silence.

"Here I am" George said opening his door, "I'll see you tomorrow Hermione" he smiled before shutting the door.

"Yeah" Hermione sighed. She continued down the hall until she saw her door. The door next to hers also had a name, it was Draco's room. How odd. Hermione stepped to his door and tried to open it. It wouldn't budge. Maybe he was already here? She knocked loudly.

She knocked again. After a few minuets she decided there was no one there. Perhaps the doors could only be opened by their owners? It seemed likely. Hermione walked into her room and shut her door behind her.

* * *

Sitting nervously on her bed Hermione looked about her room. She hadn't paid it much attention before she went to sleep five hours earlier. Now she looked at it carefully. There was also a small kitchen in her room. This confused her, what was the point of that? There was a perfectly good kitchen downstairs. 

Hermione had opened the fridge earlier, and it appeared to have been connected to Hogwarts. For she had seen all of her favorite school dishes inside. The bathroom was large and fully stocked. An owl sat on her windowsill. And most importantly, the edges of the room glowed red. The Fidellius charm.

It was frightening. This room was like a damn bomb shelter. What was going on? It was provisioned carefully, to last a long time, and hidden vigilantly. Her friends could see it, but they couldn't enter. Could her enemies even see it? Could their enemies see the house itself?

The whole estate was in a forest, indiscernible, and impossible to plot. Looking out her window Hermione couldn't even tell if she was still in England. She could barely taste salt in the air. Perhaps she was in Ireland?

Hermione had dressed herself with the clothing she had found in the closets and then she sent her owl to Draco. Hermione was worried about her poor little kitten that was still in her parent's home. Poor little Adonis, he was probably frightened. What if her house had been attacked, oh, she hoped the kitten was okay.

She then made her way downstairs to the kitchen. In the kitchen there was a stony silence. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were both dead silent going about their chores. Kingsley and Lupin appeared to be gone already, along with Percy. At the table sat the twins and Ron. "Good morning" Hermione said anxiously.

"Morning" the twins replied cheerfully. Ron mumbled his reply and the elder Weasley's did nothing but nod and smile tensely. Hermione sat at the end of the table silently. She considered asking where Harry and Ginny were, but decided to just let it be. There was a heavy mood in the kitchen, and she did not want to be the annoying one.

Mrs. Weasley placed a plate of food down in front of her. The dish clattered against the wood table. Hermione frowned and looked around the room again. Something was very off. The younger Weasley's looked fine, considering what had occurred. But the older two…they knew. It must have had to do with earlier, all of that screaming.

Hermione ate her food in silence, placed her plate in the sink and then excused herself. The door swung shut behind her and she took a breath of relief. She had that same horrid feeling from earlier. It caused her to break out in a cold sweat.

She decided to go outside and explore the area little. It had looked nice from her window. Hermione pushed open the large wooden doors and stepped out into the sun. She walked down the steps to the grass. It was slightly chilly outside and dew clung to the long blades of grass. Thankfully she had put on her coat.

The manor was huge. Hermione looked up at it carefully. The size was deceiving from the inside. But then again, Hermione hadn't really taken the effort she should have to learn her way around the house. She needed to find the library soon; it would be the only place to calm her nerves.

Sitting down on the steps Hermione let out a loud angry groan. She didn't know what was going on. But she knew that the adults knew far more than she did. Just how much did Dumbledore know? He had been keeping the other information from them, what else was he hiding? And what was all of the yelling about.

It was just like Mrs. Weasley to yell. But Hermione was sure she had never heard Lupin or Shacklebolt yell. She spread her legs and stared out into the trees. There was about a six meter squared radius of grass and garden, and then it was just trees. Even from her window, Hermione could not see anything but trees. She hated not knowing where she was.

She also needed to tell her parents…no, she didn't really. Hell, her parents could have cared less if she was in danger than if she was dying her hair. Hermione barely expected them to come running back for her expense. Besides, it was probably better that they didn't know what was happening back home. They were safer where they were.

Hermione sniffled and drew her knees to her chest. It was a miserable day, and yet the sun was coming out from behind the clouds. It began to beat down heavily, causing the dew to evaporate, the ground to warmed and Hermione to heat up. She shrugged off her robes and frowned.

What to do now? Where to go? There was nothing that could be done until Dumbledore gave them orders. But Hermione wouldn't likely be involved, no matter that she was of age. She would be forced to remain in hiding until she wasted away.

"Hermione!"

"Draco?" Hermione asked looking up. He was walking towards her from the trees. "Draco!" she squealed and jumped up. She ran to him excitedly. He had his hands behind his back. His hair was blowing in the slight breeze and their appeared to be a smile on his face.

"Whoa there" he grinned as she neared, "I have something for you" he said with a smile. Her face was glowing; she must have been having a horrid day if the sight of him brought a smile to her lips. He liked the idea of making her smile.

"What do you have?" Hermione asked in anticipation, she was bouncing on the balls of her feet.

He brought his hands out front and held her kitten, "Adonis" Hermione smiled reaching forward to take her kitten from his hands, "Did you find him well?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Yeah" Draco nodded, but the smile had slid from his face, "Unfortunately they had come for you. Your house had been trashed for the most part, but after seeing you weren't there the deatheaters must have left. I found Adonis in your basement" he explained.

"How did you get here?" Hermione asked looking behind him into the trees.

"Dumbledore just dropped me off and filled me in" Draco said running a hand through his blonde hair. He was so…casual it hurt. Hermione wished she could look so cool and confidant so easily.

"You must be in serious danger. A blood betrayer, the son of a fallen man" Hermione said softly, she held Adonis close to her chest.

"They couldn't make it onto the manor grounds, but we heard them late last night. My mother owled Dumbledore this morning and he came for me" Draco said with a sigh. Hermione could tell there was more to the story that he wasn't ready to share.

"What about your parents?" Hermione asked tenderly.

"They'll be fine" he said. But there was no confidence in his words. His eyes looked away and his face seemed to fall.

Hermione dropped Adonis onto the grass and turned back to Draco. He could see the worry in her eyes clearly; Hermione Granger was as open as a book sometimes. "Oh Hermione" he sighed placing his hands on her shoulders and pulling her against him. Hermione wrapped her arms around his waist tightly. "I don't know what to tell you. I can't promise that it will be okay, hell, I don't even know if it will. But I can promise you that you won't be going through this alone. The whole order is with you and the Weasley's" he said comfortingly running his hands through her hair.

"And you?" Hermione added laying her forehead on his chest.

"And me" he assured her.

"Good, because I have a horrible feeling that Dumbledore's plan will not go over easy" she said in a near whisper.

Draco raised his brows, "Have you heard it?" he asked.

"No" Hermione said against his shirt, "I just feel it"

* * *

"So what now?" George asked again as they all sat at the table that night. Dinner had passed in more awkward silence, and now everyone was waiting for Dumbledore to speak. Kingsley, Lupin, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley all looked tense. Mrs. Weasley especially, her lips were unnaturally thin and she kept wringing a napkin between her fingers. Everyone else looked anxious to hear Dumbledore's plan. 

Dumbledore turned to the worried Draco and apathetic Hermione who was tracing a circle onto the table with her fingertip. She could barely pay attention to anyone anymore. A dark cloud was hanging over her head, and she hated it.

"Hermione" Dumbledore said slowly turning to her. The rest of the table turned to look at her too.

Her head snapped up, Dumbledore never called her by her first name. She felt as though someone had casted a disillusion charm on her. A cold runny feeling went down her back. She shivered despite herself. Suddenly Draco's arm appeared out of nowhere and she could feel it around her waist, holding her tight to reality.

"Yes?" she asked calmly.

"You will be part of the plan"

Mrs. Weasley made something like a snorting noise.

"What is this plan?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"I need you to infiltrate the deatheaters quarters" he explained shortly.

The mood around the table grew denser. Ron's mouth was opening and closing angrily. Harry looked ready to jump out of his seat but Ginny kept him down. Hermione sucked in a deep breath before she spoke, "Is that all?" she asked coolly. Anger was bubbling in her stomach.

"About all" Dumbledore said wearily. Her anger was not lost on him; he just didn't have the patience for it.

"So, do I just waltz in there…?" she asked frostily.

"No, you are offered somewhat of a prize" Dumbledore said crudely.

The table erupted into loud yelling.

"Absolutely not!" Mrs. Weasley screamed slamming her hands on the table.

"I can't ask her to do that!" Harry yelled also standing in his chair. Ginny was turning as red as her hair.

"No!" Ron groaned.

"I don't think it's a good idea" Draco said quietly from beside her, it was meant only for her ears.

"I WILL HAVE SILENCE AND ORDER!" Dumbledore boomed across the room. Everyone fell silent, but the angry glum faces remained. Mrs. Weasley sat down with a heaving chest, Arthur attempted to console her the best he could.

"Molly, we discussed this already, so please refrain from yelling. Harry, you're not asking her, I'm asking her. And Mr. Malfoy, I assure you it is the best possible way" Dumbledore said carefully, letting Draco know that he had heard his comment.

"Why don't you use me? Wouldn't it be easier for me to walk into deatheater quarters and simply say that I've changed my mind again?" he asked in confusion.

"You'd most likely be killed on the spot" Dumbledore said shooting down his idea as though it were the largest idiocy he had ever heard. Draco had a streak of crimson growing along his cheeks and nose, Hermione noticed this.

"And Hermione wouldn't?" Harry asked lividly. It seemed as though Dumbledore was leading them through mazes just like last time. Hiding his reasons, just expecting them to trust his insane ideas.

"No, this is the smartest witch of our era. They deatheaters would not be as so stupid to kill her. She could be used against us, she could be used as bait for you Harry, but to have her dead, well, that would be a complete waste" Dumbledore said flippantly, as though he was discussing socks over a cup of tea. This enraged everyone further and more yelling began.

Hermione was shaking her head in disbelief, having yet to say anything on this decision of her malleable fate. She didn't know what to think. 'Why her?' was a good start though.

"I don't really understand why we have to use me" she said meekly cutting through the angry voices, they stopped yet again.

"Hermione, trust me on this matter" Dumbledore pleaded.

Hermione nodded, she couldn't say anything else. Dumbledore would never lead her astray; he had always pulled her out of tough situations, even if he had caused much pain through it. Hermione had no reason to trust him… but for her gut feeling. "Alright, fill me in then" she said in acquiescence.

"Mr. Malfoy will bring you in. But you will be under his command. This way the deatheaters can not dispose of either of you. For in order to use you Hermione, they need to keep Malfoy alive. In this time Mr. Malfoy will be looking to regain the deatheaters respect. And you will be doing your best to spot this leader. The sooner the better. But I'm not so naïve to think that you two will be introduced to him immediately. No, you will have to be assured safe before the deatheaters would allow you access to their last hope" Dumbledore said.

"Alright" Hermione said slowly, "What about a worst case scenario?"

"They kill you both upon your entrance into their territory" Dumbledore said coldly.

Hermione nodded and swallowed, "So…" she said turning to Draco. Draco was frowning deeply.

"I don't think this is a good idea Dumbledore. I think that worst case scenario might just be the most likely. Deatheaters don't forgive easily. And while my father just went mad, my mother and I blatantly betrayed them" he said spotting the holes in the plan.

"Technically you were never with them Mr. Malfoy. So you didn't betray them" Dumbledore pointed out, "You need to tell them that you were biding you time and that it would have been stupid to sacrifice yourself so late in the game. They will believe this act of selfishness"

"How long do we have before you put this plan in action?" Draco asked.

"About two weeks. The order will try to gather as much information as possible to help you, and you two will need training before we can just ship you out" Dumbledore said placing his fingertips together.

"Oh, yes, we couldn't just ship out two silly teenagers right away. They need to be trained" Ron said sarcastically. He was ignored.

And there was that sneaking suspicion turning into reality again. Hermione still couldn't wrap her head around everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours. She had been so happy with Malfoy yesterday, in the kitchen with his mother. It was a soft and peaceful day; there were no doubts in her head. No inclination in the slightest matter that may have pointed to this. Hermione didn't want to believe they were at war again; she didn't want to risk her life again. She wanted to live normally and go to healer school with Draco. Wasn't once enough?

"Hermione and I need to talk this over" Draco said standing. He could see the rush of emotions on Hermione's face and he knew that she wasn't taking it well. Well, neither was he. There was a strong desire to curse the old idiot, to smash something, but he held it all back for her sake. Slowly he lifted her off her seat and pulled her towards the door. She followed like a ghost.

"Hermione" Draco sighed as he pulled her outside again. It was getting colder in the evening. This was defiantly not England, but Draco had no idea where here was.

"I don't want to do it, does that make me selfish?" Hermione asked as she leant against the porch railing.

"No, it doesn't make you selfish at all, rather it makes you very smart" Draco said with a nod, "why should you risk your life again, don't you deserve some peace?" he asked.

"I do, but whether I do this or not, it's not likely I'll get that peace. If I chose to back down from the job, I'll just be holed up here" she said motioning to the large home, "I don't know what's worse, but neither will result in peace"

Draco rubbed his face with his hands. He had never expected this, not this soon, not in his lifetime. Hadn't he fought enough? Why couldn't he just be a guy with a girlfriend and a goal to finish school? Why couldn't he be normal for just a bit longer? But if Hermione chose to go through with the whole thing, then he would too. He couldn't abandon her. And he knew what he choice was going to be all the same.

There was a reason that people like Hermione died young. They were too brave, too foolish, no matter how many book smarts they had. They wore their hearts on their sleeves, they only wanted to do well, they were always willing to sacrifice themselves…he knew what her answer would be. Everyone back in that kitchen knew very well. And if was unfair that Hermione had no choice to do otherwise, her courage would not let her brains and rational prevail.

There was no issue with Draco saying no. But he would not let Hermione be alone through this trial. Hell, he owed her at least that much.

"I guess I'm putting my life in danger again" she said with a sad smile looking towards him.

"Well, at least I can guarantee you won't be alone. For I don't plan to let you hog all of the glory for yourself Granger. Not at all. I should like to have my name in the papers too. So this means I will be following you at every moment throughout this whole thing" Draco said with a mock haughtiness.

"Do you reckon we'll get out of this okay?" Hermione asked softly.

Her eyes were fixed to him, she needed an answer, and she needed only one from him right now. Draco was more than willing to offer it to her.

"Hermione, we'll do the best we can. With your brain, and my charm, we'll have this whole thing done in a few weeks" he grinned grabbing her hand and pulling her to him.

She grinned back "Hmm…okay".

* * *

**A/N:** I'd like to thank whoever nominated me in the Dramione Awards on LiveJournal. I've never been nomiated before and it's pretty cool. I got nomiated for 'Not The Sun' and 'Sic Transit'. I think you readers should go check it out and vote. There are soooo many good fanfics on there, and a lot of my fellow writers have been nominated. If you go to LiveJournal and look up Dramione Awards you should be able to find it. You will need an account to vote, but it's free, so you really have no excuse. Do a service to the writers and look it up.

As always, reviews are yummy, so treat me to a few.

Ana


	10. The Calm Before The…

**Chapter Ten : The Calm Before The…How Does the Saying Go?**

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Harry Potter.

**A/N: **Yes, so it is a filler chapter. But the next few chapters will feel the same way until they get shoved into the lions den. But trust me when I say every chapter is important. It will save confusion much later in the story. So be little detectives and keep track of the clues I throw about.

* * *

Hermione sat and filled out her class schedule, ordered from most desired, to least desired. At the top she had placed, _Ancient Remedies, First Cures, Magical Abrasions, a History of Healing_, _Nicholas Flammel a History years 1612-1624…_ Well, the list just went on and on. Hermione was sure the academy would not allow her a timeturner, and she knew she would be unable to take all of the courses she had listed. But it was important to cover ones ground as best as one could. These were all very high demand courses, and Hermione intended to take them all.

"What _are_ you doing? Is that not a trace excessive?" Draco asked leaning over her shoulder.

"Not at all" Hermione replied coolly as she signed her name at the bottom of the parchment and then began collecting all of her papers "Just because we are helping the order does not mean we should place our schooling on hold. Knowledge waits for no man".

"That is very much you. It should be your motto, along with 'Hell hath no fury, like Hermione Granger'" Hermione turned around and swatted him with her pile of papers.

"Did you already finish you course application?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes" he replied shortly heading to the fridge.

"What did you sign up for?" Hermione asked casually.

"Why do you care?"

"Curious"

"You don't have to control my life too" he said harshly, but then his face fell into a good-natured grin "I signed up for everything that you did, with the exception of _a History of Healing_. It sounded precariously dull" Draco said stifling a loud yawn.

"Ha ha" Hermione replied as she stuffed her papers into an envelope "Just because I choose to be more cultured than you…"

"Says the girl who can barely eat her ice cream -"

"-Ice cream has little to do with it-"

"-And can recite _Hogwarts a History_ in her sleep-"

"-That is an important text of our lives-"

"-And wouldn't know fun if it hit her in the face wagging its penis at her-"

"-Does not make me-"

"-Dull?" Draco suggested.

"Uncultured" Hermione corrected "Stop being ambiguous. I was talking of cultured in an educational aspect. You, on the other hand, seem to have many meanings for the world"

"Well, knowing books is not being smart. You have to experience the world a little too" Draco said smartly, he pulled a butterbeer out of the fridge.

"Oh, and you are so experienced" Hermione snorted sealing her envelope.

"I can show you how to waltz and jive, I know operas from around the world, I have a skilled palette, I can ski, swim, fly, skate, and play any muggle game imaginable. I speak six different languages fluently and can easily fit in anywhere. I learnt ancient African tribal techniques to fight off curses, and I have the Kama sutra memorized perfectly, I could teach it to you. I know a lot and not just what I learnt in books" Draco grinned. He sat down across from her at the kitchen table haughtily.

"I believe every one of those" Hermione replied sweetly.

"Even the last?"

"Especially the last, as they say 'those who can't do, teach'" Hermione said trying to stifle her smile.

Draco hit her upside the back of the head; "If you are worried about what I can and can't do, all you have to do is ask and I'll show you" he winked suggestively.

"No thank you" Hermione replied getting up. She walked out of the kitchen and headed up the stairs to Harry's room. She could hear Draco shuffling behind her up the stairs.

"Ready for our lesson tonight?" he asked trying to resume a conversation. He seemed awfully keen to talk to her, almost contrived and forced in his manner. Hermione frowned in bewilderment.

"Sure, it's just occlumency" she shrugged offhandedly, "It will be an easy review. I'm far more interested in learning some effective curses and counter-curses"

"Now you scare me" Draco smiled to himself, "I think you are a demon in disguise, you can hardly wait to kick some ass when presented with the opportunity"

"Sure" Hermione replied vaguely as she knocked on Harry's door. She waited for a couple of minutes, so she knocked again. Scuffling was heard inside, and something heavy hit the ground with a dull thud.

Harry opened the door a mere crack, "yes?" he asked poking his head out. Had his hair not always been in such disarray Hermione would have found it odd.

Hermione and Draco, who was leaning on the wall by Harry's door, exchanged confused looks. "I was wondering if I could borrow Hedwig to send a letter" Hermione said trying to inconspicuously peak past Harry inside his room.

"I'll do it for you" Harry said pushing his hand through the crack. Hermione gently laid the letter in his hand. Draco watched her lips twitching with amusement. She could sense that he was hiding something, but Draco found it all very clear. He could practically hear Ginerva's worried hitched breathing.

"Say Harry, you happen to have seen Ginny around?" Hermione asked lightly.

Draco snorted in surprise causing the attention to be drawn back to him. Harry gave him a pointed look before turning back around to the seemingly ignorant Hermione, "No Hermione, have you checked her room?" he said composedly.

"No, not yet. Thank you Harry, I will be sure to do that" Hermione smiled graciously before turning around and walking down the hall.

Harry gave Draco another fleeting glance before turning around and shutting the door. Draco laughed under his breath and followed Hermione down the hall to Ginerva's room. Hermione stopped by her door but didn't knock, she leaned against the wall. Draco mimicked her. "Aren't you going to knock?" he asked motioning to the door.

Hermione glanced at Ginny's nameplate which glistened against the dark wood. "I hope they're using protection" she said with a small sigh.

Draco tried his best to not look surprised. After all this was Granger, she did know everything. "I'm sure they are, while Potter may be a first class idiot, Ginerva is smarter than that. I don't think even she would have Potter babies" Draco said smartly.

She shifted on the wall and frowned at him thoughtfully, "I thought I told you to not call her that, you always make it sound unbearably awkward" and with that Hermione pushed off the wall and continued to her own room. Draco followed obediently.

* * *

"Would you kiss me if I gave you a gallon?"

"Not right now"

"What if I gave you two?"

"Erg…"

"What if…I bought you a pretty little necklace?"

"Draco, shut up please"

"What if…I gave you a little favor?"

"Eh? Hermione...I was joking about the favor thing, I didn't mean for it to come off sexually" lies, lies, and lies "Are you ignoring me now?"

Hermione slammed her book shut on her table; Draco jumped in surprise, "I was trying to, but quite frankly it's impossible to ignore you!" she said heatedly.

"Why thank you" Draco smiled from her bed. He sat on it cross legged and flipped through her muggle magazines, his room had none of these. None of the pictures moved, and most of them seemed to be ads for perfumes and clothing. What was the point of this? There were barely any articles to read, the only one he had come across was about finding your right shade of red. He looked up at Hermione and her gradually thinning lips. Nope, she didn't even wear rouge. But she was mad, a blind man could have seen as much. "I think a nice shade of vermilion would suit your light complexion…no, perhaps there's too much orange, it might make you seem ruddy" he said lightly looking back to the magazine. He could hear her groan loudly. "Oh come on, if you just kissed me I might shut up" he said in annoyance. He didn't even really want the kiss anymore; he just wanted her to comply with his demands already.

"I don't have time to entertain you" Hermione said coldly. She gave him a scathing and diminishing look, Draco felt like a child in trouble.

"Yes, but don't think about it in just that way, you could be entertaining yourself too" he pointed out casually as he flipped another page.

"I really don't have time for senseless making out" Hermione repeated picking up another book from her stack on the floor. The stack was huge, her order of books had come in and now she was already preparing for school. Reading every book over and making sure to pinpoint crucial pages. It wasn't even certain that she would have all of the classes for the books she had bought. Sure, even Draco had bought the necessary first year texts that they were all required to read, but he had not considered going and buying his chosen class texts. Hermione was ahead of the game, sometimes he though it had to be hazardous to her health.

"I wouldn't call it senseless, and I would not call it making out. I am a wonderful kisser, so please do not degrade my talents with such commons words" Draco said haughtily. He turned his back to her and continued to flip pages along only half-glanced.

"Sure thing mama's boy" Hermione bit back. She was trying to ruffle his feathers now. It wasn't a very Hermione thing to do, but regardless of how much Draco had changed, he was still the old Malfoy she knew before. Still arrogant, still quick to comment, and quick to judge, rude, annoying, wickedly handsome but…just more bearable. Well, that wasn't all too fair. After all, she was sort of dating him in a sense. So he would have to be more than bearable. There just happened to be certain aspects of his personality that set off the defensive switch in her brain. Certain things that could not be changed no matter how strong the will. Draco would never be an open book, Hermione would never be able to keep a secret for the life of her.

"I love my mother" Draco replied casually.

Hermione sighed and shut her book, well; there was no retort for that comment. She turned again in her chair to look at him. He was scanning _Cosmo_ now. His eyes were wide and almost translucent; something appeared to have caught his attention. Hermione got up and walked over to him, she sat on the edge of the bed carefully. "Alright, I'll kiss you" she said relenting to his demands.

Draco looked up at her in mild interest, "What? Oh, too late, I've found an article that interests me" he replied looking back to his reading of choice. Hermione frowned and tried to glimpse what it was. Having read Cosmo herself it could have been any number of articles about sex. And all of the sudden she had no doubt for his quick interest.

"What is it on?" she asked leaning closer to him.

"The 101 best sex tips of all time" Draco said; his eyes never leaving the paper.

"Did you find a favorite, perhaps one you would like to use, up your standard?" Hermione asked with a teasing smile.

"No, I don't need tips" he replied coolly "I'm only reading this because I have nothing better to do".

"I can think of something better" Hermione said as she crawled up the bed. She pulled the magazine from his hands and pushed him flat down. He looked slightly startled by her advances, but for no more than a second. Then he was back to his usual collected face.

"Excuse me I was reading that" Draco said with a frown attempting to reach the paper which sat perched precariously on the edge of Hermione's bed.

Hermione sighed and dropped down on top of him, "When I try I never get any recognition! When I don't try, I'm boring!" she cried into his chest.

Draco looked down at the top of her head. She had her full body weight on him, and while he could easily push her off, he rather wouldn't. This would be more amusing, "What do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"I'm trying to kiss you but you make it very hard" she said propping up her head on her hands, her elbows dug into his chest. Draco winced but dared not complain, he was in a compromising situation, and a happy Hermione meant a healthy Draco.

"Trying to kiss me? Good heavens Granger, you make it sound like a real feat to accomplish. You don't have to try, you just have to do it" Draco said with a crooked smile. She was funny sometimes, making even the simplest things into a grand ordeal. But that was what fascinated him. This bright girl brought down the dark lord, and now she was going to clean up the rest of the mess, but she couldn't handle a simple kiss?

"Yeah, well, I'm not so good with the whole '_just do it' _thing, am I?" she said with a sullen frown. She was so awkward, that Hermione wouldn't have minded if she fell into a coma and never woke up again. Hell, the situation was probably far more embarrassing than she ever even knew. Why did she bother? It was true, so she wasn't very experienced in the ways of men, attraction, love, nor did she know much about the world aside from what she had read in books. But so what? That was just her, and there was still much time for her to learn all of this. She didn't need to be so wise and clever just yet. If she survived whatever was coming towards her now and the current task at hand, she would surely be able to survive all of the other simpler lessons in life.

"What are you thinking about?" Draco asked with raised brows. He could see her brown eyes glazing over, the gears in her head grinding loudly with the effort to process her enormous thoughts. Hermione Granger was just one interactive body of gears, all working for that great purpose of knowledge.

"Not much" Hermione replied shortly. Draco snorted at that. With her short reply it was clear to see she was doing some massive reasoning. And being Hermione, there was never a moment that 'not much' would be occurring in that head of hers.

Draco seemed to be watching her with curiosity, it made her vaguely uncomfortable. Hermione never felt at ease with people looking at her, not when they were _really_ looking at her anyway. She always felt as though they were scrutinizing her. But Draco's eyes were fixed to her own; they never strayed from her gaze. What did that mean? What was he looking at then? This left her perturbed, what was he really thinking about?

"Do you think this assignment will interfere with my grades?" she asked with a screwed up face.

Draco swatted her elbows off his chest catching her unsuspecting; Hermione fell on top of him with a small groan. Her chin bumping his chest hard, "What are you doing, I almost bit my tongue off-" she began to rant but he flipped her over so that she was on the bottom now and blocked her with his arms which were on either side of her head. "Granger, nothing could stop you from being the smartest girl in the world" he assured her.

Hermione's eyes caught Draco's again, hers held a questioning gaze. He had a small smile on his lips and appeared to be enjoying himself. Hermione felt prickly all over, extremely uncomfortable with his casual proximity. "What are you doing?" she asked in a quiet breath.

"Nothing yet" he replied.

"Let's keep it that way" she said with a meaningful look.

"Why? Are you scared of me Hermione?" Draco asked in surprise.

"No!" Hermione said defensively looking away. Actually, she was very scared of him, but equally scared of herself. A weird feeling was bubbling in her stomach and she couldn't will it away no matter how she tried. It made her lose sense and rationality, and Hermione was sure it would lead her to do things she would later regret.

"Then what? Are you scared of what I might do? Maybe you're scared of what _you_ might do?" he said with a twitchy smile. He watched her lips thin and her eyes lock to the wall. She was resolute to not answer him, but her body had betrayed her. Draco decided to play a little innocent game. He placed his hand on her stomach over her thin cotton shirt. He could feel her flinch but she did nothing to push him away.

His fingers slowly crept along the hem of her shirt, just lightly running along the rim of her pants. She was biting her lip now. Draco put his whole hand under her shirt on her stomach. He could feel her flesh erupt in bumps, a shiver run through her body. She turned to face him "So what?" she asked, her cheeks were flushed a bright red.

Draco leaned down just until their noses were touching, his hand remaining on her bare skin, "So nothing" he replied with a smirk.

"What are you trying to prove?" she asked with gritted teeth.

"Whatever it is, your reaction is all the proof I need" he whispered on her lips. Her intake of breath was loud and only caused Draco to smirk more.

"Well" she said with a hint of impatience.

"Well what?"

"Are you or aren't you going to kiss me?" Hermione asked with a smirk of her own.

Draco laughed, "Alright, if you insist". He pressed his lips lightly against hers, his hand moved from her stomach to her hip.

**BANG BANG**

"HERMIONE, MEETING!"

Draco rolled off Hermione in surprise, and he rolled himself right off the bed. Hermione sat up and stared at the door, "Coming Ron" she replied quickly. She looked over the edge of the bed where Draco was sprawled on the floor with an annoyed grimace. "Come on, get up!" she said stepping over him and straightening her shirt, "This must be important" she fixed her hair in her mirror and quickly headed to her door. She turned to find Draco still on the floor, a dark look coming over his face, "Draco get up now, we need to go downstairs" she opened her door and stamped her foot loudly on the ground.

Grumbling Draco pulled himself up off the floor and headed after Hermione making sure to close her door behind him. As he did a cool sensation came over him, like a mist about his ankles, foreboding was never less than dramatic.


	11. Of All The Things I Believed In

**Chapter Eleven: Of All The Things I Believed In…**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter

**A/N:** I've had this one written for a while, but my computer went all retarded and nothing was working, turns out there was a virus. And I got the stomach flu and bla bla bla, sorry for the excuses, but they make me feel better. Alright, enjoy your read!

* * *

Hermione raced down the stairs two at a time, trying to catch up with Ron's long strides. Draco lagged behind, not even having left the room. "What's going on?" she asked as she grabbed Ron's shoulder; spinning him around.

Ron turned and frowned, "Dunno, but it can't be all that bad, we've already heard the worst. So it must just be a catch-up thing, it's probably nothing" he said with a shrug. Hermione frowned in return; she couldn't read that statement very well. Could this have just been a simple get together? Was this just nothing? But since when were meetings called over nothing?

"This can't be good…we've never had sporadic meetings with the whole Order like this since-"

"Don't even say it" Ron snapped, cutting Hermione off "It will never be as bad as it was back then"

"Oh Ron, don't call it '_back then_'. It wasn't more than three months ago! '_Back then_' is basically now!" Hermione said heatedly, mostly upset with his abrupt dismissal of her thoughts. She had never been cut off so rudely.

"So what?" Ron asked in a cool hushed tone, cornering Hermione into the banister with a few threatening steps. Hermione could feel his tension and frustration, "Do you want it to be like it was three months ago?"

"That's unfair" Hermione said softly; trying to extinguish the anxiety in the air "you have no grounds for saying such idiotic things".

"Hey mate, lay off" Draco said coming down the last few stairs.

"Do you?" Ron asked relentlessly.

"Of course not!" Hermione yelled making him take a step back, "Of course I don't, but I think it is important for us to be rational Ron! We would be fools to underestimate Voldemort!" she said irately.

"He's dead!" Ron yelled back.

Draco stepped back up a few stairs in confusion to survey the scene from a distance. He couldn't gather where the conversation had started, or why… it must have been something on their minds. Hell, it was on everybody's minds, this whole business. He could understand the pressures rising between allies, but they didn't have to take it out on one another, who else did they have besides each other?

"He _may_ be dead, but he's prepared. Just as he was last time with the horocruxes. Everyone thought he was dead, but he just came back all the same, despite all the wishful thinking we had all been doing to keep him down" Hermione said in a frosty pitch.

"Are you implying he's alive?" Ron asked in disgust and shock.

"I'm saying don't rule it out. You're taking all of this very lightly Ron" Hermione accused.

"I'm not taking anything lightly" he said defensively.

"Yes you are. You think this will all be solved in a few days. There are thousands of deatheaters still out there, lost files, people that have gone missing…I'm trying to be realistic Ron" Hermione explained as calmly as she could "We all knew after Voldemort was gone that the other problems wouldn't just vanish. We had prepared ourselves for the possibility of handling the mess he left behind".

"You're just hoping for the worst, glory chaser" Ron spat.

Hermione stared at him in disbelief; even Draco was stunned in silence.

"Ron, that's enough" Harry said from the kitchen door, "I don't know what's gotten into you mate, but you need to cool it down. Those kinds of accusations, from both sides, are unfair" Harry said, the ever present voice of reason. "And let's keep the name calling to a minimum, you've called me a glory chaser too, and it hurts, so you better apologize to Hermione first" Harry folded his arms and waited.

Ron looked away from everyone, fixing his eyes to the wall "Sorry" he said in an ugly singsong voice.

"I do have to agree with Hermione though, while it's great to hope for the best, you can't turn a blind eye to everything else. Hoping along won't help anybody, you need to accept this is a real problem" Harry said with a sigh.

"It may not be fair that we've had to live through so much, but that's fate, and we got the short straw. In a nutshell, ignoring it won't make it go away Weasley" Draco said with a grimace.

Ron looked around angrily, in betrayal, "I don't understand why you're all against me" he said, hurt.

"Nobody is against you Ron. I just want to stop you from blinding yourself. If you continue to ignore the world as it is…you could miss a sign and get yourself into trouble" Hermione said gently.

Ron still looked upset and confused, "Whatever; fill me in about the meeting later" he said walking past Draco and going back up the steps with giant stomping footfalls.

Harry, Hermione and Draco looked at each other sadly. "I knew people would begin to fall apart, I just never expected it so soon" Harry groaned.

"He'll come around. He's just upset, like the rest of us are…Ron just handles anger differently, we already know this" Hermione said soothingly as she pulled both Harry and Draco into the kitchen.

They entered it to find it completely packed with people. There were even people standing around the walls of the room, unable to find a seat. "Wow, well, this speaks volumes" Draco muttered. Hermione pinched him into silence.

Dumbledore was in his resident seat at the head of the table, "Take your seats please" he said motioning to the two chairs that had appeared at the end of the table. Hermione and Draco sat cautiously. Hermione was scanning the faces crowded into the tiny kitchen; she knew most of them, some she vaguely recalled, and others she had no idea who they were.

"What's the problem now?" Draco asked blatantly.

"You do realize that to walk into the deatheaters home, you will be required to prove your…allegiance" Dumbledore began carefully.

"Yes" Hermione said slowly, she knew where this was leading, they had just discussed this yesterday, she couldn't understand why Dumbledore was bringing it up again. It would cause nothing but a fuss.

"Well, I just wanted to prepare you for the possibility of receiving the mark-"

Again, uproar in the kitchen. Molly Weasley was the main cause, but Hermione was surprised to find so many other people arguing about it. That was not what Dumbledore had to say though…Hermione could feel that there was more. Besides it was unlikely the deatheaters would be foolish enough to brand them immediately…there were other tests to prove their allegiance first.

"Silence" Dumbledore said calmly. The kitchen went into a shameful hush, Molly still looked livid. She was wringing her apron in her hands and glaring daggers at Dumbledore.

"What else may we be require to do?" Hermione asked trying to find Draco's hand under the table. He found her first and clutched her fingers tightly in his own.

"Well, most likely it will first consist of a sacrifice of some sort…" Dumbledore said slowly, the look on his face was terribly grim, and the man seemed very ill and frail. Finally, his years were catching up with him.

"And it will be someone we know" Hermione finished for him… she knew the deatheaters would attempt to pull her and Draco out of their act by presenting them with a hostage who was to be killed, a hostage that they would likely have known well. Suddenly it all sickened her greatly. She didn't think she could do it. How could she kill someone she knew for something that seemed so stupid?

"And besides that…surely there will be other tests to see if you two really agree with the deatheater codes. This is where you must be prepared, and ever so careful. I cannot help you with this though. If this obstacle comes to you…then you must face it as you know best. If you feel you cannot do so, then we must scratch the entire plan and begin anew" Dumbledore said.

Hermione felt ready to throw up, "How sure are we about this threat? Must we go so far?" she asked quietly.

Dumbledore frowned even deeper; the lines in his face were as though etched with a chisel in a trembling hand. "The threat is real, I assure you. And while I apologize to each and every one of you for destroying your newly found peace, we cannot ignore this. Ignored, and this will surely become a disaster" he said.

"But it won't be as bad as it was back then?"

For a moment Hermione had thought Ron had returned and was in the kitchen, but instead, it was an entirely different man standing by the china cupboards who raised the question.

Dumbledore looked almost angry, perhaps frustrated, "It is bad enough as it is. Families are being attacked as we speak. Do you not find this _bad_?" he asked. The man withered under his steady gaze.

"This is a state of emergency, and anyone who is not willing to take this seriously may leave the premises now and fend themselves alone when the time comes" Dumbledore said smoothly, his eyes scanning around the room slowly, looking to weed out the weak links. Nobody dared move. The case had been closed "Hermione and Draco will need all the support they can get, and a backup team to help them get in and out safely. That is why you are all here. I am proclaiming this headquarters from now on, everybody here will pitch in one way or another. We shall need researchers, potions brewers, charm masters, and attack teams for when it becomes necessary. And those of you who have not been branded with the Order's mark shall have done so today" he paused for a moment "If you so wish, that is". Still, people remained as still as possible.

"Very well, lets begin the delegation of duties" Dumbledore said with a clasp of his hands and a friendly smile.

* * *

"This is turning into some secret mission" Hermione muttered as she, Harry and Draco snuck outside after the meeting was over.

"I know; it's a very Interpol-like operation" Harry agreed as he opened the door and allowed Hermione to walk out.

Draco stared at them blankly. _Interpol_? What the bloody hell was that?

"You know Hermione, I told you before, but I'm telling you again…you don't have to do this is you don't want to. We'll come up with something else" Harry said as he sat down on the porch steps. Hermione sat beside him.

"Yeah, but I don't think there is anyway around this" she sighed.

Draco sat down on Hermione's other side, "If there's a will there's a way" he spouted. Hermione glanced at him in surprise "I heard that on the radio once" he explained shortly.

"I just hate the idea that I won't be doing much" Harry frowned.

"Yeah, well, we can't very well have you prance into the deatheaters headquarters, can we Potter?" Draco asked with a sneer. Draco knew that Potter was dying to be the hero, yet again, well; he wasn't about to hand him that position. It was bad enough he owed Potter his life already.

"We could use polyjuice potion" Harry suggested lamely.

"I'm not even going to go into the number of issues that could arise from that" Hermione said with a puckered brow.

* * *

"So, we begin" Lupin said with a clipped smile as he gazed at Hermione and Draco, both of who seemed terribly uninterested already.

"With what?" Draco asked rudely.

"First finalization of the plans, then basic manners" Lupin said. His excitement was sinking by the second as he continued to look at their sollow faces.

Draco snorted in disbelief, Hermione found it all too believable.

"Alright" she said sitting down at the now empty kitchen table. It was near seven and their first lesson, and probably most important, had begun.

Draco still looked skeptical but he sat beside Hermione regardless, Lupin took a seat across from them and enchanted the large board on the other side of the room to float right beside him. There was writing all over it already.

"So, I think the first thing to consider would be how to make your transitions believable" Lupin said, and as he said it, the question wrote itself on the board.

"Simple" Hermione said placing her chin on her palm, "we do a giant public stint where the Order makes a grand appearance as having turned on Draco and I" she said.

"Why though?" Draco asked.

"Why…?" Hermione repeated; she hadn't really considered it that far. "Well, why would the Order turn on us?" She looked to both Draco and Lupin for suggestions. Finding none she continued alone "…Perhaps we aren't seeing eye to eye on policy, or we refuse to do something for them…or we betrayed them in some way?" she suggested with a grimace.

Lupin nodded in agreement, "So which will it be?"

"Betrayal would work best" Draco said, Hermione nodded, encouraging him to continue "Especially since we won't have to go into too much detail with it. We could claim that you cursed us and now we're unable to discuss it. I think that would make it seem like something really big. You really should just curse us with a tongue binder or something, that way we won't be fooled by any of their attempts to trick us into telling the truth"

"Alright, moving on then" Lupin said flicking his wand at the board.

* * *

"You're going to have to play the weak girl Hermione" Lupin said pursing his lips.

"They wouldn't believe that, not a chance" Hermione replied tiredly. The clock was nearing twelve and her brain had ceased functioning nearly two hours ago. They have moved through so much in one evening. Everything from entrances, clothing, speaking, actions, stories, had all been discussed to death and set in stone. "They know me Lupin; they know I'm not like that. If I walk in there decked in lace and simpering like a puppy, they'll know I'm phony" Hermione said finally.

She felt uneasy, more so than before. It was like having an out of body experience, Hermione barely felt like herself. She could see herself sitting at the table, almost as though she was floating up above, but she felt so detached from herself. The process had begun. The most important thing for her to do would be to detach from the old Hermione. She would have to leave her old emotions, beliefs, friends, behind in order to make this work. It was a frightening thought…who would she be without those things? Surely not the Hermione Granger she knew herself to be.

Draco was finding himself slowly loosing interest in the werewolf's ideas. His brain had shut down the moment he had walked into the room, and since then all he had to offer were nods and shakes. He felt heavy and tired. And worried, very worried, he had not heard from his mother since he had arrived here; wherever here was… all he wanted now was to go and have a good nights sleep. And then he would think about the rest of this tomorrow. The ideas being thrown out were hard to grasp, well, that was untrue. The werewolf was basically asking Draco to become his father. He had to become cold, and driven, without any possible emotion for others, for the sake of making the mission succeed. Where would that leave him in the end, where his father was now? Practically mad, years of memories lost, senile and unable to live…Draco knew that this would not help his person. He had tried so hard, for so many years to not become like his father, and now to succumb to it…what if it really changed him?

"I think that will conclude this evening, please bear in mind the suggestions I have made, and we will continue this tomorrow evening" Lupin said as he vanished his board. He stood and said "Goodnight", leaving Hermione and Draco nearly asleep on the table.

"What was the last thing he said?" Draco yawned loudly, rubbing his head.

"I'm not going to tell you, you should have been paying attention" Hermione replied nastily, standing herself.

Draco stood as well, "Like you even know, you were more out of it than me" he muttered in annoyance. "Hey, don't you think we're sort of talking in circles, it really seems like we just keep repeating ourselves and we're not getting anywhere-" Draco heard the swish of a cloak and then the swinging kitchen left him all alone in a second flat. He looked around in surprise; Hermione had ignored him and just walked out?

He followed her, "Hermione?" he said just before she could reach the stairs. She turned to look at him, there was a glazed look about her, "You okay?" he asked worriedly. This didn't feel like bickering, she didn't seem too upset with him…this felt like something different altogether.

"Yeah, just fine" she replied evenly "You?"

"Perfect" he muttered in return.

She didn't move though, instead she stood on the first step staring at him for a moment more. There was a hesitation in her, a moment where everything went tense and crackled with electricity, and then she spoke "I have a feeling that we're going to become people we hate because of this" she said sadly, her calm demeanor sliding off of her like a sheet.

Her fears were crystal clear, and uncannily similar to his. "I know what you're saying, but I think as long as don't mean the things we do…it will be okay. Sure, there will be things we'll ultimately regret, I have many of those already, as I'm sure you do…but I think we'll come out okay in the end. It's important to not mix who you are, and who you're pretending to be" he said with a small smile.

"Of all the things I believed in…this destroys them all" she whispered, as though to herself, then she turned and looked pointedly at Draco "You say those things _but_ do you believe them?" she asked in accusation.

The single window along the stairs was illuminating her frame; she looked lost and lonely to Draco. He couldn't figure out where this sudden change it attitude had come from; he couldn't understand what she meant… Then he realized he didn't know. He didn't know Hermione Granger.

He knew her just about as well as others, but he did not know her as well as Potter or Weasley did. There were certain things in her past that were influencing the emotions she felt now, and he didn't understand them.

She was a paradox. For him, nothing more than a short book filled with nice things, but he didn't know the bad. He wanted to, it would be helpful to know some things before they threw themselves into the flame, but how would he ask. How could he bring any of it up? He couldn't just ask her what had happened in that year that she had gone off with Potter and Weasley, not so casually…

"Yeah, me neither" she said with a sigh before turning around and walking up the stairs.

Draco watched her go with a frown, she knew him better than he knew himself.


	12. How I Could Just Kill A Man

Chapter Twelve: How I Could Just Kill a Man

**A/N:** Don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

Draco lay on his bed with his arms at his sides, eyes closed, fully clothed. He was trying to lose consciousness, to sink into his bed, through the floor, all the way down into the earth and into sweet nothingness. There were so many thoughts rushing through his head. He was plagued with information, reservations, and anticipation and he couldn't slow his mind down.

How would he and Hermione even manage to do such a thing as permeate the deatheaters circle, and be convincing enough that they would brand them, and show them all their secrets? What was Dumbledore on about anyway, did the man even have a single coherent thought on the issues? He was sending the two of them like lambs to the slaughter. Even if he and Hermione managed to walk in and out, that would be a miracle.

Deatheaters were obdurate, they had no greater depths or hidden emotions, they had like and hate. And what they liked to do was killing, and hated being told they couldn't. No amount of groundwork could help them live though this. Draco sighed deeply and squeezed his eyes tightly shut. Outside there were birds chirping, and even though he drew his curtains the dazzling sunlight streamed through the windows, causing his eyelids to burn a bright red. It must have been beautiful outside, but that just made it all so much harder. Everything had just begun to look up; life was finally moving in the direction he desired. And now, he was about to die, one way or another.

Just a week ago his only worry had been how to impress Hermione. Or how to convince his mother that gardening was hazardous to his health. But now...

Things were suddenly complicated, and it made him want to cry.

* * *

There were no readings to do, no training to actually prepare her, nothing Lupin, or Dumbledore, or anybody else could say to make this happen smoothly and easily. It would not be like taking an examination, it would not be duelling, it would not be like fighting Voldemort or the deatheaters, it would be much harder. Fighting against an ideal is so easy. You just throw yourself, your body, your soul, your entire being into taking this object down and destroying it. If you fall, if you fail, it doesn't matter, because you did what you thought was right, you gave to the cause. It was so different to hide your beliefs. How could Hermione possible do such a thing? She was the most transparent person in the world. How could she pretend to not be who she was?

Hermione was no fool. She knew, surely she would be required to do dreadful things. Torture and murder were high on that list, and mandatory. Lupin had told her everything even before their meeting. Dumbledore wanted her to go all the way. Just her though, not Draco. Dumbledore wanted her to sell her soul and kill if it required. And kill anybody necessary, only one exception stood to Dumbledore's desire. If Harry was to fall in the line of fire, the mission was immediately to be aborted. Suddenly she felt sick.

This excluded only Harry. Everyone else was conceivable. Lupin had not listed off names; he had simply said 'not Harry', which meant, 'everyone else'. Of course the order would try to stay out of such menace so that it would never come to such a choice. But Hermione knew...the time would come, and she would have to complete her obligation. She had chosen her pathway in first year when she became friends with Harry. And though she had not unequivocally agreed to follow him, her heart had pulled her along. There were so many times she had secretly wished to abandon Harry, to leave the cause, and to run away somewhere where nobody knew her. To live with her parents, to be happy and loved, and forget about magic. But she had cried these fantasy's away, and had woken the next day in a cold tent in the middle of nowhere, knowing it was too late, she was one of 'them'. She was a good guy, a whitehat, a winner, and that she was one for life, no matter how long that was.

And so now, even when she had to let go of her morals, of her picture of self, there were such strong doubts within her. They threatened to completely undo her. Hermione had lived through so much already. Harry was so noble, and his small missteps were so irrelevant, Ron too was so dedicated to Harry, no matter how many outbursts of anger he had. It was only Hermione who saw the world through two windows. 'The right' and 'the easy'. Harry and Ron only saw 'the right'. They never gave a though to what would be easy, never seriously considered running away or giving up. Hermione was the only one who would pack her bags four nights a week, planning to apparate away, before stopping at the last moment. She was the only one with a split conscious, who had considered how easy it would be to die and give up. Leave the world, and why care about Voldemort then. Let him do whatever in a world where she no longer existed.

It hurt her. These thoughts cut Hermione so deeply everyday to know she was the actual weak one in the group. They all praised her for being the glue; the soft heart in the trio, but Hermione's hold on their friendship was so fragile. If only they had known how easily it could all have fallen apart when left in her hands. And now Dumbledore was directly asking her to prove her loyalty.

Hermione knew this certainly part of the reason why the plan was formulated in this way. Even if Ron and Harry hadn't realized her weakness, Dumbledore would have, absolutely. And now, he wanted to see if she was really part of the 'right' team. It was such a cruel thing for him to do. But that was Dumbledore, he was perfectly amoral. He was above right and wrong himself, and greater type of person altogether, someone who saw no good or evil, but only outcomes. The red light running around the corner of her room grew brighter; the fidelious charm strengthening with each passing hour it was in effect. This was it. Hermione smiled softly, there were no more decisions to make in her life; that forked path had become a one way road, and she would walk it right to the end.

* * *

Harry and Ron sat silently in the kitchen. They stared at their tea and had not spoken a single word since earlier that day when the news broke.

They were both thinking the same thing.

"He's doing it on purpose" Harry whispered. He blew on his tea, even though he knew it was stone cold by now.

"I know" Ron replied.

"But, he's not doing it for the reasons we think"

"You mean-"

"He wouldn't know. How could he? Dumbledore's doing this because he thinks it's the best way. And he's trying to create plausible tension. It would make more sense that Hermione would leave us" Harry muttered.

"How do you figure that?" Ron asked.

"Pull some sympathy strings; she's the unappreciated girl in the group, the mastermind who gets no credit. He doesn't have to look far for inspiration, those kinds of stories are always in the tabloids" Harry said sadly. He pushed his mug away and met eyes with Ron.

"Think Hermione can do it?"

"I'm not sure anymore. She's been slipping away for a long time. We almost lost her so many times last year. Every time she looked at me..." Harry paused and looked away from Ron, "every time she'd look at me. I felt like she was _really_ looking at me, as though she was trying to remember every detail, because...it would be the last time she saw me. "


	13. Damn, I Really Hate Your Ass Right Now

Chapter Thirteen: Damn, I Really Hate Your Ass Right Now

**A/N: **I don't own Harry Potter, or anybody from the wizarding world. I think that goes against basic human rights.

* * *

Hermione sat in the kitchen alone. The long wooden table had been scrubbed earlier by Mrs. Weasley, and it was still wet, pools of water were forming in the desiccated and warped planks. Hermione stared with bewilderment at her tea, as though she wasn't totally aware of having made it and poured and placed it on the table all herself. The last six hours or so had been a total blur for her. And for some unfathomable reason, she found herself unable to approach Draco. When she had walked past him in the hallway earlier, Hermione had avoided his gaze, almost running herself into an end table and knocking over what was probably an inimitable heirloom of the Black family.

This _thing_, this...new creature that was riding on her back, she couldn't place it or name it. It was expanding in the silence between Hermione and everyone else in the house; it was feeding off her qualms. For Hermione it was all too surreal. She thought about how wonderful the last month had been, and how it was irrelevant now. Hermione knew all of this, and accepted it, so what was she doing now at three ten in the early morning, sitting in the kitchen alone? She should have been deep asleep in her room, but that room frightened her as well. Perhaps it was because the room was more powerful than her. That six by seven square meter area worked in such a strange and unfathomable way, no spell could change it, not even by the person who casted it. Nobody could force their way in, unless they slipped in beside her as she entered, it was for her alone. Just as safe as the room was, it felt like a jail from the inside. Nobody could come in without her permission, so for how long would she be able to come out? Something with such a strong magic could quickly turn volatile. Hermione wasn't trying to demean Dumbledore's magical abilities, but she didn't believe magic should be run through objects without conscience. Something without conscience had no loyalties other than those to itself.

Hermione's tea was stone cold, but she drank it anyway. And her mind moved to more pressing matters, of her and her friends. Ron and Harry weren't taking her involvement lightly. But Hermione hadn't expected them too. Harry would complain as long as he could, but Harry was _infinitely_ more rational than Ron, and he knew that there wasn't anyone else to take her place in this scheme. Hermione's involvement in all of this was not possible to replicate. The order needed someone close to Harry, but also someone who could appeal to the sympathies of others. That and naturally Ron wasn't tactful enough to live longer than five minutes surrounded by deatheaters. Hermione smiled thinking about the decade they had lived together, and all of the things they shared. Their sense of adventure had always been a main factor in the friendship. Where other people would have paled and ran, the three of them pressed on through hardship and danger, just for the thrill of the adventure. But their adventures weren't so simple anymore. It wasn't sneaking into the restricted section of the library, or entering the forbidden forest, their adventures were now unified missions with a team of people planning and pulling the strings. How things had changed for them. Hermione looked at her reflection in her teacup. She didn't even look like herself anymore. Her hair was no longer frizzy, her teeth straight, her nose was longer and thinner...yes, she was prettier commercially, but she didn't look like the Hermione she felt, inside she was just as insecure and odd as she was at eleven. She frowned at herself and wondered if Harry and Ron ever looked at themselves and felt the same way. No, probably not. Harry wasn't shallow enough to actually wonder about his physical appearance. And Ron was probably very thankful he grew out of his awkward years.

Hermione jumped at the sound of the door swinging open, she felt for her wand in her pocket but relaxed when Draco pushed his head through the crack "oh, it's you" he sighed walking in, mirroring her relief. Suddenly Hermione felt very foolish. Firstly for grabbing at her wand when she very well knew the improbability of an intruder and second for being in Draco's immediate company.

"Yeah, I'm almost done" Hermione said quickly, standing up.

"Sit" Draco said so severely that Hermione sat without thinking about it. "We need to talk, while we're alone" he frowned sitting down across from her.

"Do you want me to make you some tea?" Hermione offered, keeping her eyes on the table.

"No, I just want to talk" he said despondently.

Hermione didn't feel like talking. They had been doing a lot of that today. She just wanted some quiet time, and sleep. "Fine" she sighed "Talk"

"Are you avoiding me?" he asked with a frown.

"I...I'm not" Hermione said shaking her head in surprise. She had been expecting something more relevant to the topics being discussed earlier today, not...this. Draco raised his right eyebrow sceptically. "I just... don't know" she amended with a sigh.

"Don't do this" he said grabbing her hand from across the table. Hermione looked at him in alarm, he was almost frightening her "I've been trying so hard for a month...are you really going to let all of my charming efforts go to waste?" he pouted.

Hermione laughed loudly in bewilderment. She had been expecting something far more serious "You're being a bit dramatic aren't you?" she asked with a wry smile.

"Am I?" he said, suddenly sombre.

"You-what?" Hermione frowned.

"I'm trying to lightening things up for us Hermione. But honestly, let's work on this friend thing for the time being. It'll be important later on" he said earnestly.

"Alright you twitchy little ferret" she said pulling her hand out of his. "You should go to bed soon" she added standing up and placing her mug in the sink. Draco didn't reply, Hermione turned and looked at him. He was gazing at her, but not _at_ her. His eyes were fixed right on her stomach, and his chin rested on his fist. Hermione noted that he was slightly more unkempt, his hair was dirty, and his under eye circles seemed to extend by the hour. Already so tired, and nothing had even begun "Goodnight" Hermione said as she walked out of the kitchen, with no reply.

Draco sat on the bench for a good half hour more, staring at his empty hands. He sighed and picked himself up heavily from the table. Tomorrow the werewolf was coming with the laid out plans for their first visit to Voldemort's residence. Draco couldn't decide yet if this plan had been concocted a long time ago, or if the order was just efficient at strategizing. But everything seemed to be moving too quickly and smoothly. He hadn't even agreed to do this and yet everything was in motion, he was just being pulled along for the ride. Draco was bitter, very bitter. It felt like this was karma for all of the awful things he'd done before, to have his happiness taken from him. Karma for him maybe, but just what awful things had Hermione done?

* * *

Harry sat with his elbows on his knees, his fingers smoothing his eyebrows as he thought carefully. Harry had homework, for the first time in two years, he had an assignment to complete and hand in. Lupin told him that in order for the grand plan to work, he and Hermione needed to stage a public falling out. Something obvious enough that the papers and penny magazines would pick up on it, but realistic enough that people would believe. He didn't have a clue how to go about it. What could he and Hermione possibly argue about that people would consider their situation irreparable? He groaned and lay back on his bed. What had he and Hermione ever argued about before? Well, when his Firebolt™ had been taken from him due to Hermione's interventions...that had put him on a downer. The Occlumency lessons had been a source of tension between them, but Harry had to agree Hermione had been right about those. And the horcruxes/hallows dilemma had also caused some disruptions between them, but in the end the two of them had solved the mystery. Honestly, any issue between the two of them had been quickly resolved, and any time Hermione had nagged at him, she had been right in the end. Hermione had always been a source of inspiration and comfort for Harry; she had even been there for him in times where Ron had failed. How could they possibly come up with a convincing enough row?

Harry trusted Hermione's judgment in all things completely, nothing to fight about occurred to him.

"Harry?" Ron said rapping on his door.

Harry stood up and looked though the peephole in his door, Ron's red face stared back at him. He looked angry enough that his freckles had melted into the flush of his face. Harry frowned and rubbed his eyes, what now? He opened the door.

Ron stormed past him and threw himself down on Harry's bed. _'Yes, go ahead, please'_ Harry thought.

"What's wrong mate?" he asked closing the door and sitting down in his desk chair. He was mentally preparing himself for whatever rant Ron had stored in his mouth. It was sure to be longwinded.

"Wrong?" Ron asked belligerently, "Wrong? Oh, _nothing's_ wrong of course! How can anything be wrong if Hermione _says_ it isn't!" he exclaimed loudly, on the verge of yelling.

"What happened?" Harry frowned, putting on his 'best friend' sympathetic face.

"Well, you know what puzzle I was working on?" Ron asked violently, leaning towards Harry.

Harry nodded. Ron had been piecing together a three dimensional puzzle of a puffskein for the last week. He hadn't made very much progress on it. "Yes?" Harry said, encouraging him to continue.

"Well, MALFOY knocked it over!" Ron seethed.

"Oh" Harry said, apparently with not enough concern, because Ron glared furiously. Harry amended his mistake quickly "Where was it" he asked "the puzzle?"

"I left it on the end table in the sitting room, out of reach!" Ron said in rage, "It was supposed to be safe!"

Harry pursed his lips; Ron had left it on the same sitting table that people ran into at least three times daily due to its absurd proximity to the corner hallway that was in frequent use. Mrs. Weasley had attempted to move it, but the table refused to be moved, as though it was placed with a permanent sticking charm. It seemed the table had no reservations about being knocked over though. What a perfectly safe place for Ron to place his puzzle.

"And then!" Ron said leaning even closer to Harry "When I told him off, Hermione began to tell me off! Can you believe it?"

Harry said nothing.

"SHE told me that I shouldn't have left it there! AND that if it was so important to me it should have been in my room, and that it was MY fault!" he yelled, spit flying out of his mouth. "STUPID FERRET! I can't believe Hermione is taking his side!"

Harry refrained from any signs of agreement or disagreement on his part. He didn't need Ron's rage to turn on him.

"Does she like him more than me now? Has she forgotten what an EVIL idiot he used to be? Just because he's all '_oooo I'm so good, I'm baaaaad'.."_

_'And a sheep'_ Harry thought wryly.

"-now doesn't mean he's not EVIL! He won't change! Evil, EVIL, EVIL!" Ron roared. And then, having exhausted himself, he collapsed on the bed.

Harry stared at the wall across from him totally wide eyed. He had just found what could be the perfect flaw in his relationship with Hermione.

* * *

"I don't like this" Hermione muttered, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Neither do I, but you're going to have to play along" Harry muttered back.

"But...there are so many people here" she seethed through her teeth.

It was true; Diagon Alley was packed this Saturday, regardless of the deatheater threat. People seemed to feel safe in large packs, and so everyone was walking the crowded street. There were even students getting some early shopping done before they headed off to Hogwarts. Harry and Hermione sat drinking their coffee on a small patio outside the bakery next to Charmed Cloaks. Hermione looked nervous; her eyes were practically counting the individuals passing by.

Harry understood her perfectly well, he felt exactly the same. It would be so easy for the two of them to just change their minds and go home, live another day on the same side. But if they went through with this, then, that was it. The ball would start rolling, and they'd have to see this to the end. Harry wasn't prepared for the hard times that would come to him. People might even turn on him for scorning Hermione. She was just as much a media darling as was he. And the feminist witches would be sending him letter bombs and massive howlers; the attacks on his life would become more frequent due to the arrogance of deatheaters. He would be receiving a lot of crap from all sides. And then he and Hermione would have to reconcile partially in order for the plan to continue seamlessly. Hermione and inadvertently Malfoy would be playing the same part that Snape had played for most of his life. They were banking on whoever Voldemort had left in charge to not be so quick witted about the repetitive history. Playing two sides was a dangerous game, and it had cost Snape his life, Harry had never forgotten that.

The other worry that had seriously begun to plague Harry was Malfoy. Hermione he could trust within an inch of his life to do the right thing, whatever the situation. His worry was Malfoy and whether he could handle what was coming to him. It seemed more likely to Harry that Malfoy when faced with the same situation as Hermione was going to be the one to break, and endanger the plan. Malfoy was not as evil as everyone gave him credit for, Malfoy was weak, and Harry knew that he couldn't bring himself to cause anyone great harm, and that if he did, it would ruin him. And that worried Harry. Just as much as it worried him that Hermione could coldly kill a person if necessary. It blurred all the lines of good and bad, right and wrong for Harry. Which of the two would crash first and reveal themselves, who would prove too much, what might they be asked to do? Would Hermione kill Malfoy if she had to for the sake of the Order? Harry didn't even know. He turned to look at her; she sat silently with her hands around her mug, perfectly expressionless, terrifying.

"I did not!" she said angrily practically throwing the dress back on the rack. The clanging of the metal alerted the two young witches gossiping at the counter to their presence.

"Hermione! I'm your best friend, trust me please!" Harry pleaded following her around the store.

"You're wrong Harry, it's not always the way you say it is!" she replied tearfully, walking out the door. Harry cast a look behind him; the two store clerks were following them out of the store onto the street, so as to not miss the spectacle. He continued chasing her down.

"He'll only hurt you Hermione. You don't know him" Harry warned.

Hermione spun in the middle of the street to face him. "What do you know? How could you know? You're so judgemental Harry, can't you trust me?" There were people stopping in their tracks now, shocked at realizing who was having the argument. Even a goblin leaving the bank stopped to watch, and as everyone knew, goblins preferred to not involve themselves in wizard problems.

"But I'm right" he replied crossing his arms. Harry couldn't himself believe what an arse he sounded like. He was certain that everyone watching was judging him with a critical eye. Probably cursing him under their breaths.

"NO! No you are not! I can't believe you're doing this! Don't you care about me at all? Can't you be happy for me? Is it so hard?" Hermione sobbed, very convincingly.

Harry felt extremely guilty for a moment, his only desire was to run to Hermione and hold her. But he refrained and instead he said "No, I'm not happy for you, I think you're making a mistake. And nobody can stand him, he's _evil_" Ah, the magic word.

"Nobody can stand him? Is that an _ultimatum_ Harry? Are you telling me that everyone hates him so much it's either me or him?" she asked, her voice rising in a shrill crescendo. A lady to Hermione's left gasped loudly and stepped back. Harry began to feel cold; a shiver ran up his spine. It was like living a nightmare that was soon to end, but you wouldn't be waking up.

"Possibly" Harry said quietly, barely able to go on with this charade.

"Then forget it Harry. I don't need you. You're the one who's evil!" Hermione said clearly and firmly. Loud whispers broke out all around them.

"Hermione!" he said walking towards her. Suddenly she pulled out her wand, pointing it at him. Even Harry was shocked.

"Don't take another step Potter, or I will curse you within an inch of your life" she threatened. "You and I? We're done. You are no longer a friend of mine" Hermione announced. And then, she dissaparated, leaving Harry to face the scrutiny of everyone on Diagon Alley.

* * *

"Done?" Ron asked as Hermione lumbered through the door.

"Done" she replied, in more ways than one.

Ten minutes later Harry arrived. Everyone was in the sitting in the kitchen, silently thinking about what they had just done. "Well, that was just fantastic" Harry muttered sitting down by Hermione.

"Beautiful, a class act on both accounts" Hermione replied sarcastically.

"So, what now?" Malfoy asked.

"Now..." Hermione frowned, "We set up a luncheon with the deatheaters"


	14. In Present Company

**Chapter Fourteen: In Present Company**

**A/N**: I don't own Harry Potter…also, anybody else excited about this Pottermore thing? One more day. Oooohhhh….Please comment!

* * *

"Don't, under any circumstance become eager," Lupin said firmly, "It's more believable if you hold your ground, and act in your own benefit. Even if you begin to suspect they are weary of you, don't accept their bargain"

Hermione nodded somberly. She was hot, but her sweat was running cold. Her hands were folded in her lap to prevent them from shaking, and she didn't speak, fearing her voice would quaver. Draco sat calmly beside her, his arms folded, and frowning deeply. Hermione couldn't help but wonder if he was actually nervous or just resigned to whatever fate was in store for them. He looked more annoyed than anything.

"Demand the payments we have discussed Hermione, and lay out your rules, let it be known that your services are not free" Lupin sighed and rubbed his eyes "Hopefully, tonight, we'll be able to get you in and out in once piece, then we'll see what happens from then on"

Hermione nodded again, wondering if that 'you' was plural.

"Alright, now that you've bombarded us with what we should do once we're inside. How about telling us the scheme to actually get us in there" Draco asked coolly.

"Well, you're going to take a portkey to a hamlet near the new deatheaters residence, then you will be walking the rest of the way. It would be foolish to think the deatheaters do not have an anti-disapparition jinx surrounding the area. Hopefully, the fact that you have not raised any alarms will surprise them. If you were to apparate on the premises, and a caterwauling charm went off, they'd kill you before even wondering about your identity." Lupin frowned.

"The premises that is…_where_ exactly?" Draco asked raising his brow.

"In the area, the order wasn't able to get an exact fix on the location. But there has been an undeniable amount of deatheater activity occurring within the hamlet" Lupin assured them. Hermione didn't feel particularly comforted though.

"Yes, that or their favorite pub might be in the region" Draco muttered sarcastically.

"If, you cannot find the location, or our sources are faulty, then just return back here. We'll work through the plan again"

"Brilliant, let's get on then. Shall we?" Draco said standing up, and turning his back on Lupin, his eye fixed on Hermione.

Hermione looked at him from under her lashes, unable to make direct eye contact. She was going to be sick.

* * *

Hermione pulled her long black cloak tightly around her, making sure the hood hung low over her forehead. Her heels had made a loud click on the dewy cobblestones they landed on. But she was just thankful she had actually landed on both feet. The portkey pot lid was lying a meter to her right, leaning inconspicuously next to other rubbish.

The night was clear, and rather frosty for what was supposed to be the deep of summer. A light mist, which had yet to turn into rain, hung in the air ominously. It was so thick Hermione could smell it's almost metallic scent.

She and Draco walked out of the little alleyway side by side and onto the main street. It was only a couple hundred meters long, mostly consisting of shops that were closed at this time of night. Every couple of shops they passed by another little lane became visible, leading to tall crooked houses behind the shops. The whole hamlet was built around the little boulevard.

Draco kept turning around, his right arm slightly raised; prepared with a wand underneath his cloak should someone attack them. He also adjusted his hood and pressed right against Hermione's side.

"Just how are we supposed to find this building, and what if it's not visible to the naked eye? The werewolf couldn't even tell us if there was a fidelius charm on it," he muttered leaning his head towards hers.

"No, such extreme protection would cause more suspicion then it would dispel. Besides, Voldemort trusts no one so a fidelius charm is pointless, especially if they move locations frequently" Hermione said patting her cloak for the location of her own wand. She pulled her trembling hands up into her sleeves. If she couldn't control her nerves, tonight would not go favorably for them. She took a deep shaky breath.

"So, how do we know when we've found it? Is it in the village, or somewhere in the suburbs?"

"Let's first look around. Keep your eyes out for abandoned or seemingly ruined homes, they may have put some charms around the premises" Hermione suggested, linking arms with Draco.

"Right" he mumbled.

They walked side by side, cautiously looking every which way. Hermione doubted that any deatheaters would attack them now, but the silence of the village was eerie. No dogs barking, not a single light on in any of the houses, and it was only midnight. She sighed and concentrated on really seeing the buildings. It became glaringly obvious that the deatheaters would not set up camp on the one and only paved street in the area.

"Let's move to the outskirts," Hermione suggested, steering Draco towards the lane on their left. The dingy lane had doors from the buildings on either side, some trash, recycled beer bottles, and mostly filth.

The houses here were slightly further apart, and misshapen through years of renovation and additions in the surrounded streets. A very different ambiance from the movie set feel of the main road.

"Why are the pubs closed so early?" Hermione frowned, unable to shake the unnerving stillness of the place from her mind.

"I don't know, this whole thing seems very peculiar. No people, no lights in the houses, the way the town is dead…and the fact that the pub is closed on a Friday night at midnight…"

"Dead?" Hermione inquired.

"Like we've been sent somewhere pointless…it seems like nobody actually lives in this town. Don't you agree"?

"I agree that it's unsettlingly quiet here. But that could be due to the deatheaters. I mean, they could have easily charmed the citizens here to cooperate under their influence…or have enforced some kind of curfew like before" Hermione suggested "it could be evidence for their existing here…or, this may not actually be a real town. But how the order could have overlooked that…"

"I don't know…grasping at straws aren't we now?"

"Well" Hermione muttered looking at building that she could not distinguish to be a house or barn "Just keep- OI!" Hermione yelped as Draco stopped walking, causing her to stumble back. "Earth to major Malfoy" she said angrily stepping in front of him. He was looking at the house to his left with raised brows, "What are you-"

"-Looking for something like that?" he asked softly.

Hermione turned around to face a rather large, and inexplicably grandiose house for the area they were in. "huh" she exhaled with a grimace "they just can't assimilate anywhere, can they?"

Bizarrelyenormous compared to the two homes next to it, the house had long and large windows, a tall double door, and was surrounded by a large iron gate. The impression was altogether rather imposing. "You first" Hermione muttered pushing Draco forward.

"Shouldn't we discuss this?" he asked with a nervous smile.

"No time. We just have to get on with this" Hermione said shaking her head.

"Even if we don't leave these gates alive?"

"Even if"

"Alright" Draco said stepping forward, he placed his hand on the gate and it swung open swiftly. "Looks like we're invited"

Hermione stepped as near him as she dared, and they crossed the gate, heading up the long drive to the house itself.

"Tacky" Draco muttered eyeing the fountains and sculptures of magical beasts "But deatheaters usually are, I mean, you've seen what my manor looks like. And it's not entirely my mothers fault".

"Is there a doorbell, or knocker?" Hermione whispered as they neared the large and imposing doors "Oh Merlin! How do we get in!" she panicked grasping at Draco's arm.

"Calm down, there's no need" Draco replied calmly. The door was opening slowly even before they reached the steps. Hermione exhaled a shaky breath and tried to slow her heartbeat. She could feel her pulse aching in her throat. Mental, she was going absolutely mental and falling apart before she reached the door. It was time to give the performance of her life; she couldn't fail.

At the door a small crooked house elf in a blue towel awaited them. "Evening" Hermione said coolly stepping ahead and entering before Draco. The elf nodded at her, "Should I take missus cloak?" it asked in a whiney breathless voice.

"Certainly" Hermione said handing the elf her cloak, as Malfoy did the same after her.

"Missus, and Sir can enter through the doors on their left, there they be waiting for you" the elf said with a bow.

Hermione locked eyes with Draco for a moment; he squeezed her hand quickly, and then let go. Waiting? They were waiting, how did the deatheaters discover that they were coming at all?

Hermione swiftly walked forward, before all her courage left her. She threw the doors open and marched into the room. She noted that there were many indistinguishable dark shapes in the dimly lit room. Groups of people clumped together, making it impossible to gauge the number in attendance. There was a table at the end of the lengthy chamber, for which she aimed. Hermione hoped that Draco was close behind her, should someone attempt to curse her in her moment of blind senselessness. At the table in front, the seated party all had their faces hidden with grotesque masks. One person sat in the middle, but their appearance did not differ from the rest. Hermione stopped right before the table. She heard Malfoy stop not far behind her.

Finally standing in the stillness Hermione could feel the scope of the chamber; she could not even see the walls, giving the space a large and enclosed feeling all at the same time. The floor was an complex parquet design, what Draco would probably assert as tacky, and the room was entirely lit by candles.

"Good evening" said one of the masked men; he moved his hands from the table into his lap. Likely to hold onto his wand, all the better to kill Hermione with.

"Yes, it has been" Hermione replied with a sweet and timid smile.

"What could you possibly be looking for here Miss Granger? Did you get lost on your way to the bookstore?" the man asked. Chuckles erupted from around the room. Hermione remained composed; her eyebrows rose in surprise, and then narrowed in annoyance.

"No, I'm most certain I'm at the right location"

"Really? And what are you…and the _traitor_ looking for her?" Another masked figure asked. Hermione heard Draco shuffle behind her.

"He" she said throwing her head back to indicate Draco, "has brought me here, but I am here of my own desires. Desires, which Mr. Malfoy agrees with fully"

"Ah! Did you hear that?"

"Really now?"

"Foolish girl, what does she think-"

"Must be mad…"

Hermione kept smiling, mostly to keep her face from trembling further, and she had the impression it unsettled the people around her to see her seem jovial. Perhaps she should have taken a page out of Bellatrix's book and acted cheerfully deranged. That would really make her frightening.

"What is it that we could _possibly_ do for you Miss Granger? You mustn't expect us to hand ourselves over to the order…we haven't actually done anything unlawful yet you see" Hermione tried to not scoff at the remark, but she couldn't believe the deatheaters knew anything else.

"And since you are _the most intelligent witch of our age_" Hermione frowned, looking at the person in the center who was now speaking. That phrase had been almost exclusively used for her at Hogwarts, was this someone whom she had been in school with? "You should be fully aware we won't allow you to leave these walls alive. Since you have so kindly, and conveniently, walked into our abode. It will be all to easy to dispose of you"

"So, you do not wish my services then? How terribly wasteful" Hermione scoffed in mock insult, eyes still fixed on the figure in the middle.

"You offer us services? Just which services could these be?" laughed a masked woman to her right.

"A front row seat to the destruction of the order" Hermione smirked.

Around her murmurs and outcry's of shock and skepticism exploded. The general consensus in the room seemed to be that Hermione had gone barmy. "Silence" said the masked figure in the middle. His voice, and Hermione was certain it was a male, was relaxing and low. It had an immediate calming effect on the crowd. He seemed to hold greater influence than the others here. She needed to keep watch on him.

"You mean to say" he said slowly, Hermione imaged him to be smiling under his mask "That you will play a pawn? Now, Miss Granger! I know you are brimming with intelligence, but why do you insult mine?"

"And why think me so cheap and benevolent?" Hermione retaliated "I am not here to simply help you. Certainly that is what the end result will be, but the end result is irrelevant to me. This is mostly for my benefit"

"And what do you get from this ploy of playing two sides?" the man asked, "It is a lot of work; surely the advantages must be great".

"I get the satisfaction of revenge, and my freedom"

"There is no freedom if you join us" the masked man muttered.

"Ah, but it is what I desire. I wish to be a free agent. I belong to neither right or wrong, I belong to the party of 'me'" Hermione smiled.

"If you have no loyalty, then why should we trust you" asked another man at the end of the table, "If you will not mark yourself, then why should we even entertain your foolish ideas?"

"Have _you_ any loyalty?" Hermione asked with raised brows.

Around the room, the deatheaters broke out in angry whispers, but none dared to speak up.

"You all sit here, enjoying your new power, now that your lord is dead and most certainly gone due to Potter. You are all free, no matter what choice you make you can still walk away, live another life, and so long as your vengeful leader is gone" Draco interjected "That is not loyalty. If you were loyal to the cause you marked yourselves for, you would be out there killing muggles, not having get-togethers with tea and cakes"

"All in good time, Malfoy. But I do not see it appropriate that you should talk of loyalty, since you appear neither loyal to us, nor the order" the man in the middle said.

"I also, consider myself a free agent," Draco said politely.

"Still" grunted one of the rounder cloaked men "how to trust you?"

"If you play your side of the game properly, you need not worry about me. If you cross me, then the rules change. But I'm not interested in dealing with more trouble than the bare minimum. So please, do not upset me" Hermione said stone faced. She was almost there; they just needed to take the bait.

"What then?" asked a woman at the left end of the table.

"Then, the plan, in short, I give you correct but inconspicuous information on the orders actions and whereabouts. You give me information of your plans that I can feed to the order. You will have the upper hand in all these cases. But, I desire to not be involved. I will carry the information, but will not put myself in the middle or in the way of harm. I do not care what occurs, either with your causalities or theirs. If you should tell the order of my full betrayal, our deal ends, and with it my assistance. It is not in my interest to get caught between the two sides. My main interest is the exoneration you can offer me," Hermione explained.

"What part of this satisfies your revenge?" asked the curious man in the middle. Folding his hands on the table.

"Ah, that I will let you know about when the moment arises" Hermione smiled.

"And the discharge you require?"

"After this has all played out in your favor, we require that you claim our deaths. Simple, effect, and resulting in our liberty, nothing more" Draco explained moving to stand next to Hermione.

"I still do not see what you gain in this…though I am aware of your current situation. It has been all over the tabloids…yours and Potter's little tiff" the man chuckled.

"Yes, I suppose it has been. You cannot keep much private being a member of the golden trio" Hermione admitted sheepishly.

"I must admit, I am not all that surprised that you have come to us Miss Granger. I have been expecting you. The always underappreciated member of your group, but the real driving force and intelligence behind all of Potter's endeavors…why not join us? We will appreciate what you have to offer" the man suggested.

"At this time, it is not what I desire" Hermione sighed, "But perhaps, if you were to persuade me of the ultimate benefits of playing on your team…I could eventually be swayed"

The man nodded.

"But, since you and Potter are not on good grounds, how will you withdraw information?" asked another shadowed deatheater.

"Harry Potter cares deeply for me. We have already rectified the situation, and all is as it was before. Though the press does not know this yet. Potter is not very capable of hate, he forgives rather easily. And just because Potter and I fought, it does not imply my immediate expulsion from the order. It is not a grave situation, and Potter does not have such control"

"I see"

"Regarding my payout, I'd prefer to speak about it at a later time in private. With, whoever here is the new lord, or leader" Hermione insisted casually "I do not wish to discuss my matters with everyone in current company. For you see, most of you cannot be _trusted_ with such information".

"New lord? You expect a new leader?" said the man in the centre, he sounded vaguely surprised. But not shocked enough for Hermione to believe he didn't know who was holding the reigns here.

"The deatheaters have never been a democracy" Draco laughed, "No matter how cohesive your views are, the structure has always been a tyranny"

"In time perhaps…but I am not certain I accept this proposition. After all, I could just kill you right now" the man sighed tiredly.

"You could, but you're curious…and you do not strike me as the type to walk away from such a favorable contract"Hermione said, doing her best to sound confident.

"Yes, you have piqued my curiosity Miss Granger…perhaps I shall let you walk this time. And I will contact you, rather than having you walk into our playing field, perchance we could meet in a more private and neutral place"

"Certainly, I shall wait to hear from you" Hermione smiled.

"And, will you go now to your order friends and tell them you walked in and out of the deatheater headquarters unscathed?" he asked inquisitively.

"Yes" Hermione admitted, "And I will reveal your location. So, you may decided to choose a less obvious location next time"

"Of course, we shall be seeing each other again Miss Granger" he said, drawing out her name unpleasantly.

Hermione just nodded and turned around. She began to walk out of the room, aware that the deatheaters were both confused and interested in what had just occurred, and shocked than none of them had attempted to kill her. The door shut behind her and Draco as they exited. The house elf stood in the hall holding their cloaks, "Ere you are Missus, and Sir" it said handing them over.

"Let's be leaving" Draco said placing his hand on the small of her back and steering her out the door. The walked silently down the steps and drive, making not a single noise until they were back in the alley leading to the main street. "Well, that went _well_" Draco sighed.

"I have to use the washroom" Hermione said shakily.

"Everything is closed here…let's just get to the end of the street and we'll apparate back to Grimmauld Place" he said placing his hand on her shoulder.

Hermione just nodded. She felt cold all over and sick to her stomach. But she had done it, and hopefully convincingly. She had completed the easiest part, what came next would be infinitely more complicated. Hermione now had to prove herself to the deatheaters in order to gain greater access. She knew that they would not reveal their new leader so easily to her, not until they could understand her motives. But how would she be compelling enough to fool them. Hermione hoped it didn't come to the point of sacrifice. She envied Draco. How was he so composed and cool? Hermione could never be that serene in the company of deatheaters, and especially not while she had to lie.

Draco stopped, and walked towards the window of a pub, pressing his face against the glass to peer inside. "Weird, there aren't any fixtures inside…"

Hermione pressed her forehead to the glass as well, "I knew something was off about this town. I don't think anybody lives here…there aren't even chairs or tables" she walked to the next building, a bookstore "There aren't any books in the shelves! Did the deatheaters just expel everyone?"

"So much for the orders uncertainty. I'd say these are pretty obvious signs of a deatheater invasion" Draco laughed.

"Yeah…"Hermione frowned.

"Ready?" Draco said taking her hand.

"Sure" Hermione replied.

* * *

A tight sensation overtook her, and a second later they were standing on the doorstep to order headquarters. Draco opened the door and she followed him in.

Not even five seconds after Hermione entered;

"Well?"

"WHAT HAPPENED?"

"Did they believe it?"

"OH, YOU'RE ALIVE" Mrs. Weasley sobbed running towards Hermione from the kitchen, and holding her tightly, a dripping ladle still in one hand. If Mrs. Weasley squeezed any harder, Hermione would wet herself here in the hallway.

Everyone was quite awake, and waiting for their return.

"All good?" Lupin asked from the sitting room entrance. He looked particularly tired; either worried or expecting a full moon soon.

"Yes" Hermione replied as confidently as she could.

"Brilliant! We should celebrate!" Harry grinned.

"Maybe tomorrow, I'm a little-"

"So, what happened?" Ron asked pushing past his mother and sister to get to the front of the queue.

"Can we talk about it tomorrow, I'd like to go to bed" Hermione sighed.

"Oh come on Hermione, just tell us already" Ron pleaded.

"NO! I said tomorrow" Hermione snapped, Ron stepped back, and on to Ginny's foot.

"Oi!" she cried.

Hermione took the opportunity and marched past Harry and the rest upstairs.

The crowd dispelled, everyone leaving their own way reluctantly, but hopeful that they'd hear the details soon enough.

Draco, Harry and Ron remained at the door, all frowning.

"I didn't invite her to bite my head off, why do I even bother asking?" muttered Ron angrily, looking for support from the other two males.

"Because, if you don't Weasley, it would be considered rape" Draco grinned walking past him up the stairs.

"Stupid ferret!" Ron yelled after him "I can't stand him mate, seriously"

"That's nice Ron, I'm going to bed" Harry muttered, patting Ron on the shoulder, turning off the light, and heading upstairs. Leaving Ron fuming in the dark.


	15. A Bollocking

**Chapter 15: A Bollocking**

**A/N:** I don't own Harry Potter. Please review!

* * *

"Stupid git" Hermione muttered bitterly, kicking Ron's quaffle down the hall. It hit the large bust of Elladora Black, ricocheted off and came shooting back at her. She dodged it poorly, the quaffle clipping her thigh; "He leaves his bloody things all over the place! I just can't stand this, makes me want to-"

"Good morning" Ginny smiled, stepping outside from her room and in front of Hermione's path of rage. She was still in her nightgown, and looked very tired around the eyes. Hermione wondered if Harry was in there, and if Ginny had overheard her… having that little eppy.

"Good morning"

"Do you want to" Ginny twitched her head, "step into my room?"

Hermione looked at her curiously. "Gee, that's awfully kind of you, but I think I prefer the menfolk"

Ginny rolled her eyes, " It seems like we could use a talk, you know. I don't want to bend your ear, so only if you want to"

"Certainly" Hermione agreed, stupefied and interested as to what Ginny thought they needed to discuss. It had been a while since they'd spoken alone, what with all these new problems and such; it had been difficult to think of much else.

Ginny opened the door and Hermione followed her inside. Ginny's room was pretty and pink, and a total contrast from Hermione's room. It seemed she had already been counting on catching Hermione this morning because two mugs of steaming tea sat on the small coffee table by the window. Hermione sat herself down in one of the armchairs and Ginny sat across from her.

"So, out with it then"

"Out with what?"

"You and Ron"

Hermione's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "Me and Ron?" she repeated, feeling the words on her tongue, and how strange they sounded. Then remembering the quaffle, anger began to boil "What about 'me and Ronald'?"

"I've just been wondering how you two have been getting on lately," Ginny said raising her eyebrows, trying too hard; it seemed to Hermione, to appear innocent. How she and Ron had been getting on was obvious to everyone living in the house. It was like they were back in first year, vying for Harry's attention, constantly trying to outdo one another.

"_Well_. As _well_ as possible seeing he bothers me to bits" Hermione said tersely, speaking through her teeth "He is just acting like an imbecile, I swear he was never like this before. Or, not as much. If I see him today, I'm going to give him a serious bollocking"

"He is a bit of a wankstain," Ginny agreed with a sigh, she rubbed her eyes.

"Isn't that a little harsh? He is your brother" Hermione reminded her, shocked at Ginny's choice of words. Hermione reached for her tea.

"Yes, which is why I'm most entitled to say it" Ginny replied, a strange terseness settling on her features.

"Ginny…" Hermione began, placing the hot mug on her knee, "Why are you asking me about Ron? I mean, I don't want to sound rude. But given any number of the…fascinating topics available these days, why does my relationship with Ron interest you? We don't do anything but bicker!"

Ginny frowned, and pursed her lips. She looked at the door, as though expecting someone to enter, or worried that someone should overhear her. "He's just been a little mental these days," she explained, "Which would account for the constant bickering".

"Hasn't everyone been a little barmy over this whole thing" Hermione replied offhandedly, though she was intrigued by what could worry the cool headed Ginny.

"Yes, but Ron especially, and I don't think it has to specifically do with this task Dumbledore has given you, as much as it has to do with…you"

"That's well out of order!" Hermione hooted, "I can't be responsible for every single one of Ron's mental menstruations!"

"But I'm certain it's to do with you…though maybe not just you, or, he could just be hashing up old problems…"

"Does that it make it my problem to fix?" Hermione scoffed unperturbedly.

"No, but I'm worried Ron will make it your problem" Ginny sighed, "You know how he is. He whines until someone listens, and if he can't make you listen, he'll make you whine with him"

Hermione knew this tactic well. And she didn't like that it was turning on her. What did Ron want now? He had already made life difficult for her, ruined his chances, and hers. What more could he take?

"What does he want from me? Hasn't he made a mess of things for me as is? I though we were past this, working on our 'let's be best mates again' phase"

"He's talking a lot about you Hermione. And it's pissing me off quite rightly" Ginny grumbled, and then took a sip of her tea. Hermione waited for her to continue patiently. "He left you out cold once, but now he thinks he has some right to talk about you…like you're his property, and-"

"Is this about Draco?" Hermione suggested, trying not to smile.

Ginny nodded angrily, the corners of her mouth turned downward. Her annoyance was apparent. Clearly Ron had already attempted to beguile her with his theory on Draco's evil tendencies and puzzle obliterating ways.

"Who cares what he's talking about? Ron's not harmful, no matter how much he complains. And I think Draco is a tad more mature then him, so it shouldn't bother him either. Besides, it's not like there's too much to be scrutinized…" Hermione admitted sheepishly.

"Oh?" Ginny said curiously.

"Draco and I…have hit somewhat of a wall. Rather early in our relationship" Hermione laughed. She wondered if her laugh sounded more bitter or nervous. "With everything going on, it's just been too difficult for me to advance, no fault of his, but I'm too worried to…"

"What, _love_ him?" her best friend smiled, "You're too worried to fall in love, because you think it might make what you have to do harder? Or are you worried he'll reject you? Because that's sheer stupidity"

Hermione blanched, "Who said anything about love? But I agree that having feelings for each other might affect the way we carry out this mission, it could cloud my better judgment. And we were told, the results of this mission are top priority, all other things, including one another-"

"But you could see yourself falling in _love_ with him" Ginny sighed, sinking back into her chair. She smiled warmly, "How _lovely_"

"I think you're picking up on all of the wrong key words in this discussion," Hermione muttered in embarrassment. How she felt about Draco wasn't the most important topic at this moment.

"That's beautiful Hermione, it would be so _lovely_ if you two-"

"Ginny?"

"-fell into each others arms-"

"Ginny?"

"-and this is why you can't let Ron or anybody else tear you apart-"

"You are reading way too much into this!" Hermione said in exasperation "Draco and I…are complicated, so there's nothing to tear apart. And Ron especially wouldn't have any pull in this situation. So, don't fret over nothing"

"Hermione" Ginny said, leaning forward, the tea in her mug spilling onto her robe, "I'm serious when I say Ron's being strange. Just…be certain of what you want…"

"What? Oh Ginny, please, I can't be bothered with this right now. I've got so many things on my mind right now. And Ron is one of the last. I assure you," she pleaded taking the mug from Ginny's hands and setting it on the table.

"All right!" Ginny said in surrender, "I just wanted to warn you of these things, and make sure you had your head on right. You're in a complicated situation Hermione. But think of it this way, Dumbledore isn't a stupid man, there's more than one reason it's you and Draco working this, remember what he always says-"

"I know" Hermione mumbled looking away from Ginny's piercing gaze. She knew all about Dumbledore's views on the power of love.

* * *

"'Mione?"

Hermione turned on her heel, a meter from the kitchen. "You!" she said accusingly, pointing her finger at Ron's red wool clad chest, "Left your quaffle out in the hall, right in front of my door, and I almost broke my neck falling over it this morning-" Hermione stopped short. He had grabbed her pointing finger. A total offence considering she was giving him a talking to. "What?"

He stared at her with the same lopsided smile he always had when he was on the inside of a joke. It made Hermione self conscious, she hated feeling left out.

"Nothing, just wanted to say 'good morning,'" he grinned, releasing her finger and walking past her into the kitchen.

"Right" Hermione muttered, following him in "bloody git".

The kitchen was full of people chatting, eating, bellowing, and trying to charm a fork to dance, in Bill's case. Hermione scanned the table, but she hadn't been wrong the first time, Draco was not here. "Hermione! I've saved you a spot!" George said waving her over.

"OW!" Harry yelped as George roughly pushed him down the bench, clearing a spot for Hermione. She sat down awkwardly, and Mrs. Weasley placed a bowl of hot berry oatmeal before her.

"Morning" Harry muttered, rubbing the ribs George had forcefully pushed.

"Morning" Hermione smiled crookedly.

Harry bit his lip and raised his brows in a wagging motion. Anybody else would have taken this as a lewd and rude gesture, but Hermione knew what he was implying.

"After breakfast, we can talk about it in the library" she whispered back to him. She knew very well that his curiosity was eating at him, and that he likely hadn't slept at all last night. It wasn't like Harry to not be in the midst of things. He must have hated having to sit patiently on the sidelines.

"I'm holding you to that" he whispered back.

"Am I invited?" George murmured moistly into her ear.

"George!" Hermione shrieked pushing his face away "Please, not so close"

"You're right. Ron looks like he's about to cut me from nip to tip" George said grinning widely. Hermione looked down the table, and sure enough Ron was glaring in their direction. She couldn't help but roll her eyes. Whatever his issue was this week was beyond her. But it would pass, as everything else seemed to.

"Hermione dear…" Mrs. Weasley was talking to her.

"Mhm?" she mumbled in reply, trying to not trickle oatmeal from her mouth.

"Dumbledore is waiting for you in the sitting room, whenever you're done. He's just arrived," she said sweetly, but to Hermione, she seemed tense. Mrs. Weasley seemed to have aged twenty years in just the last eight. And she was the only person in the household unable to keep her cool. Whenever something was awry it was easy to see in her demeanor.

"I'm done!" Hermione replied; quickly swallowing her food and standing up. Her plate was full, and she was hungry, but the suspense couldn't be soothed. "Sorry Harry, later" she squeezed his shoulder as she walked past him and out of the kitchen.

Hermione peeked around the corner of the entrance to the sitting area; Dumbledore was seated in one of the tall black armchairs, with his back to the hallway. "Come on in Miss Granger" he said gently, as though she were right next to him, and not five meters away.

She entered the room cautiously. Dumbledore still made her nervous, even after all these years. Something about his 'know all' personality unnerved Hermione, since she hated the idea of someone knowing better than her. "Sit, please" he smiled. To Hermione his smile was terse, just like everyone else's lately, though she could see he was putting in the effort to look at ease. She sat down across from him, her hands on her knees, just as it was back at Hogwarts. He scanned her with his blue eyes, which year by year were gradually becoming milkier and disappearing into the folds around his face. Dumbledore was beginning to show his age.

"_Here_, are your books" he said picking up a large brown parcel from the floor beside his chair, and laying it on the coffee table. It was at least fifty centimeters tall.

"Oh" Hermione said in astonishment.

"Your healer training begins rather soon, and I imagine you'll want to read all of the texts before you actually begin" he smiled "Just to be informed".

"I didn't know…"

"If you would be going to training? Well, for the sake of acting natural, it does appear perfectly regular for the brightest witch of our age to go to school and work, no matter what she does behind closed doors" he explained with a knowing wink.

"Of course" Hermione replied, forcing herself to not wink back.

"Mr. Malfoy passed these on to me earlier this morning, so I imagine everything you requested is in here" he tapped the parcel with one long finger.

Draco, where had he gone this morning? Just to get their books, where was he now then? Hermione had counted on seeing him this morning so that they could discuss last night.

"On that note, I only wish to know if your attempt yesterday could be considered a success" he stretched his fingers, and then clasped his hands "Of course, it's already a success since nothing terrible has occurred, but how do you feel it went Miss Granger? I value your opinion on these matters greatly"

Hermione swallowed, "I think it went as well as possible, obviously we discovered very little last night. But we do know that they are operating on a council method. Or at least hiding behind it"

Dumbledore nodded eloquently and gravely, as though he had known all along. And so he likely had.

"There were about ten of them, maybe less, masked at the front of the room. They seemed to have held all the power. One of them..." Hermione recalled the young voiced man from last night, "Seemed to have more of a sway over the rest. But none of them could clearly be distinguished as the leader"

"Do you really think so?" Dumbledore asked softly, tugging soothingly on his beard.

Hermione frowned. "I'm not sure at this point…"

"But you felt the charisma?"

Hermione's skin rippled. Yes, that was exactly what she had felt last night when one of the masked deatheaters had spoken. He was charismatic, his words had been well chosen, his tone soothing…

"Excellent!" Dumbledore said clasping his hands and standing abruptly. "All we need now is to wait for their reply. And all you and Mr. Malfoy need do is to continue life as per usual"

"Yes professor" Hermione said standing as well, but unable to shake the cold feeling sweeping over her. How could he so simply assure her? Hermione didn't think it was all so simple, and she knew Dumbledore couldn't have either. But after the way he'd kept Harry in the dark…Hermione wasn't sure she could handle that treatment.

"You are a good girl. Do not worry too much" he smiled, patting her head and walking out of the room. Hermione watched him go with a frown. She felt as though she'd been turned inside out, but there was no relief.

* * *

"Wow" Harry muttered, his fist propping up his enlightened face. He looked like it was Christmas morning of third year.

They sat at the long cherry study table in the black library. Nobody else had joined them; nobody else had been invited. Even Ron. Harry would certainly relay the story to him eventually.

"So…what do you figure? I mean, it's possible whoever it is could have been sitting at that table" Harry murmured in awe, and envy.

"Possibly" Hermione agreed uncertainly.

"But, we don't even know who it could be. Whether it's a deatheater carrying the torch or…"

"I don't think so" Hermione interrupted, "It would have to be a pretty strong deatheater. If Voldemort left instructions in the event of his demise, he would have chosen someone incredibly skilled to carry them out. And with most of his most talented members dead…it wouldn't make to much sense. Either it's someone we don't know because Voldemort has kept them secret in this case…"

"Which could be anybody, even the person we pass on the street" Harry sighed disappointedly, rubbing his face.

"Or, he created someone"

"Like made them up, pretend wise?" Harry frowned.

"That's possible too. It could just be a mask for a larger group of wizards working in unison. But I meant…biologically" Hermione said, watching for Harry's reaction.

"You mean…like a child?" he said raising his brows "Didn't we decide that option was already impossible?"

"Impossible perhaps in the last ten years…but what about while he was younger, and more human, how are we to know he never fathered children" Hermione explained, "Think about it, does it make sense to say it didn't happen, just because we don't know?"

"Well, no. I suppose if he ever did" Harry shuddered violently, "You know, he wouldn't exactly be telling everyone about it... but, I couldn't see him doing that"

"It could have been accidental. Something he maybe only discovered recently before his death, or maybe a child he'd known about all along. But tell me this Harry, who better to carry your unending loyalty towards the dark arts, than your own flesh and blood?"

"But, this is all under the premise that if Voldemort had kids, his kids would be as evil as him" Harry said skeptically. "Personally, if my father was Voldemort, I'd be revolted"

"Yeah, it's an awful lot of theorizing" Hermione agreed, resting her forehead on the table.

"Either way, it's going to be someone we never knew existed, right?"

"Pretty much sounds right," Hermione groaned, she had so much to think about, but it would have to wait, healer training was about to begin.


	16. Mollycoddle

**Chapter 16: Mollycoddle**

**A/N:** I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Hermione slipped off her bed in urgency as soon as she heard the soft knocking at her door. She tiptoed over to the door and opened it a slight crack; Harry's green eye peered back at her. She opened the door and allowed Harry, Ginny, and Draco to slide into her room. With a quick peek at the vacant hallway outside she shut the door.

It was a quarter after two in the morning. The house was soundless, everyone but the three in her room were in a deep sleep. That three were sitting on her bed Indian style waiting for her to join the tête-à-tête.

This morning, after two weeks of agonizing a response had finally arrived from the deatheaters. They requested to meet with Hermione and Draco again in three days time, at the most unusual location…

So now, Hermione, Draco, Harry, and Ginny were in her room, ready to converse. Most of their discussions since the first meeting had been secretive and sporadic. Mrs. Weasley had been attempting to keep them apart, as she had always tried in the past, in order to prevent them from planning and discussing the matters. And in turn attempt to keep them from getting _silly ideas_. She was still livid with Dumbledore about his 'atrociously dangerous madman idea' he had convinced the others of. Aside from the first discussion Hermione had had with Harry, they had barely had ten minutes to talk. The fact that training had now begun for them had made it all the more difficult to meet up. They were followed around by undercover members of the order consistently for their safety, much to their annoyance. Now, they were going to dish it all out proper.

"The room is absolutely sound proofed, so we can speak normally in here. You have all locked your rooms? So that Mrs. Weasley can't get in there to check if you are in bed?" Hermione asked looked around the gathering.

They nodded solemnly, having already been foiled that way before. "Actually, I slipped mum a bit of valerian root into her tea, she won't be waking up to do the rounds tonight" Ginny grinned sheepishly.

"Brilliant" Harry smiled.

"Right then, what's on the table of contents?" Draco asked pursing his lips.

"Well, Harry and I already discussed the possibilities of who is running the circus. Most of which have been…less than fruitful" Hermione muttered, glancing at Harry, "And frequently ludicrous…"

"Well, what are your theories?" Draco questioned, "Might as well start somewhere".

"We thought of who he could hand supremacy to, and we've concluded that there is nobody known to us that Voldemort would entrust with his empire" Harry explained "Any deatheater trusted by Voldemort is certainly dead"

Draco and Ginny both nodded in understanding. It was common knowledge that Voldemort's entire inner circle had been wiped out completely. Lesser deatheaters may have still been around, but they were exactly that, lesser.

"So, it's obviously somebody unfamiliar to us" Ginny shrugged "That much was obvious. It doesn't elucidate anything"

Draco looked at her inquisitively, "It explains a great deal, if you reflect on it"

"Really then?" Ginny frowned disbelievingly.

"It tells us that this person has been in Voldemort's ranks for a very long time if he's trustworthy, it also tells us that all of the other deatheaters must know and respect him in turn, as well as having been aware of him since his beginning. It conveys that this person is the best-kept secret of the deatheaters. And, if it's somebody unknown to us…we may likely know them" Draco illuminated.

"How do we know them if they're unknown?" Ginny retorted.

"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer?" Harry proposed half-heartedly. He looked unconvinced, or perhaps afraid to be convinced of anything. However, Hermione felt the same.

"Imagine, as we have many other deatheaters have before, this person walking among us everyday, an ordinary wizard, perhaps even a muggle. Someone who knows all about us, and we know nothing of them…maybe somebody influential…maybe..." Draco stopped and looked at Harry meaningfully.

"Yeah, Hermione and I considered that too" Harry grumbled apprehensively, his eyes directed downwards.

Ginny raised her brow, "You don't honestly think…that's _preposterous_"

"As is everything Voldemort does," Hermione added quickly. Ginny frowned at her, still the most unconvinced of the group. Likely since Ginny had had the least experience in their previous hypothesizing parties.

"But…even then, we have no clue who it could be…even if it was, you know, his _child_" Ginny sputtered incredulously "You're just pulling ideas out of thin air, you don't have anything to go on" she complained.

"This is all we have to go on. Who do you think it could be Ginny?" Harry asked, a slight touch of annoyance in his voice.

Ginny glared at him, but pursed her lips and relented, "Fine" she said shortly, "What then? Why would we know this person, regardless of everything else?"

"Well, thinking about it, Voldemort would want his hypothetical offspring to be educated in the best place possible" Draco insinuated nervously, looking around the group.

"A Hogwarts student" Ginny specified.

"Older than us" Harry added certainly, "If mine and Hermione's calculations are correct…if he fathered a child while undercover. Then it occurred somewhere between Albania, and when he came to Dumbledore to ask for a job…that would make his child anywhere between twenty and forty. And so, possibly in attendance at Hogwarts during our time. And if he was at Hogwarts there should be records of his attendance"

"Under what? Voldemort's kid? Moreover, why are we assuming it is a male? Perhaps he fathered a girl. What then?" Ginny laughed.

"Fair enough" Harry muttered rubbing his face.

"If it was a girl, then she absolutely wasn't one of the ones we saw that night. There were plenty of women around us. But I'm certain there wasn't one at that table…I think" Hermione interjected.

"It wouldn't be too difficult to pick out the possibilities", Draco said, "Regardless of gender".

"It would be like a needle in a haystack" Hermione exclaimed in surprise "Beyond difficult".

"If his child is anything like him, he's guaranteed to be a Slytherin. Likely to be as flashy as his father, awards, accolades, O.W.L results" Harry listed off quickly.

"But that goes against the logic so far" Hermione said shaking her head, and looking cautiously at the door. "If he's been trying to hide this child, then he'd hardly have the kid go around acting like him. Besides, wouldn't you have known Draco, wouldn't there have been rumors of Voldemort's heir in the Slytherin common room, even if there was a sliver of a possibility?"

"That's true. No such thing was even uttered during my time there. Either this person never existed, or they were masterfully disguised. Likely in some other house…and what about parents? He would hardly be an orphan; that would be major cause for suspicion. There must have been some alternative wizarding family to slip past the Hogwarts censors"

"If so, whoever was his family would have had little or no connection with Voldemort, since they had not been discovered as deatheaters in his downfall" Ginny approved.

"Maybe they were cursed, or charmed to take care of the child. They may have not even known it was not their kid. Or perhaps they did know, and Voldemort's reach is further than we expected" Hermione sighed tiredly. She looked at the clock it was nearing three now. The valerian must have worked well, because Mrs. Weasley had not yet knocked at her door.

"What about Sunday?" Ginny asked curiously "I've been meaning to ask you, but I haven't been able to shake Ron. He keeps following me. I had to slip him some valerian too"

Ron had not been invited to their gathering. This was something they were all in agreement about. Ron had simply been acting insufferable in the past few weeks, and he was a cause of stress and grievance for the whole house. In addition, he could not bear to be around Draco, and that made it impossible to discuss anything together. Hermione had been glad to start training, just for the sake of being removed from Ron's companionship. He was far away from her place of work, and it offered her some relief from his usual hounding and stalking. Unfortunately Draco was not as near as she had hoped. He was in the potions department on the third floor. Which seemed far from her place of study on the second level in the hospice. They could meet during breaks, but could not discuss any serious matters for fear of being overheard.

Harry and Ginny were equally distant at the ministry, and could only meet with the other two here in the house. Where Mrs. Weasley made it extremely difficult. Life was getting in the way of more imperative things. But Dumbledore had been explicit about the significance of going about habitually, so as not to arouse suspicion on either side of the fence.

"What about Sunday?" Draco replied.

"Where are you meeting them?" Harry asked curiously.

"The Hog's Head"

Ginny and Harry's eyes widened in surprise "In Hogsmeade?" Harry hissed in disbelief.

"Who is the owner of the pub now?" Ginny asked, her brows furrowing in apprehension.

"That's a good question. I don't know" Hermione grimaced looking to Draco for an answer.

"Could be anyone" Draco shrugged noncommittally.

"It's public enough that neither side would want to cause a scene, but removed enough for discretion…it's clever" Harry nodded asserting his own thoughts. He scratched his head, as though there was still something that greatly puzzled him.

"Are you two going alone?" Ginny asked worriedly. Clearly she did not like the idea of a solo mission.

"Dumbledore thinks it best. That way we won't set off any alarms of backhandedness" Hermione explained, "It will be dangerous, but securer than if we were to take reinforcement. One sniff of treachery and they'd kill us on the spot, public establishment or not"

"Tomorrow, let's try and meet again. I have something I want to check, and if I'm on the right track I'll let you know" Harry suggested sliding of her bed.

"Agreed" Ginny said stretching her legs.

"Harry" Hermione said grabbing his hand as he walked to the door.

"Yes?"

"Not a word of this to Ron. Just…not yet. Please?" she looked around meaningfully, catching Draco and Ginny's gaze.

"Understood" Harry whispered with a smile, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

* * *

Hermione packed her books carefully into her bag, folded her diagram of the effects of Vanishing Sickness, and dropped her quills into the bottom hap hazardously. She looked around her shared student office tiredly. The rest of the trainees had gone home already, as usual, she was the last one here. The clock chimed eight; it was time to head home. Mrs. Weasley was probably fretting about her lateness already. Hermione pulled off her lime green robe and draped it across the back of her chair, hopefully to put on again come Monday.

She walked down the long sterile hallways to the elevator, glancing into patient's rooms curiously. A few matrons were walking around with their floating clipboards, checking on patients before their shifts ended, and the nightshift began. She entered the empty elevator and pressed the lobby button. The elevator hummed warmly, before the sweet female voice alerted her that they were headed to the lobby. Hermione leaned against the wall and patiently waited as she dropped down smoothly. It chimed and the doors opened, letting her exit.

"Going home?" the matron at the desk asked "about time love"

"Signing out" Hermione replied walking over to the desk and taking the clipboard from her, initialing by her name.

"Granger, on Monday there's a dragon bite that Healer White wants you to take a look at" called George, a mediwizard, as he walked past her towards the elevator, just beginning his shift.

"Will do" Hermione replied as he walked away "thanks" she added passing the clipboard back to the matron.

"Have a good weekend love"

"I'll try" Hermione muttered walking out the doors.

Behind her the hospice stood tall as a red bricked run-down department store. Boarded up, with a city condemned sign on its doors, it had served well as a method of secrecy.

On the street there was a mix of people hurrying to get home and those who were just getting out certain to have a wonderful time tonight. Hermione hoisted her bag properly on her shoulder and began to walk down the street towards her bus stop. She could have just as easily apparated, but she preferred to travel the muggle way. It was one of the few moments in the day she had left to herself, away from the bustle and meddling nature of the rest of her housemates.

She purchased her favorite coffee to go at her favorite café, and left the barista a handsome tip. She glanced at the shop windows, looking at the early arrival of autumn fashion, even though they were still in the heavy and sticky heat of summer. And she savored her walk to the bus stop in a peculiar and naïve manner that others would consider trivial, but to her it was important.

The setting sun was at the perfect height this time of day. It shone right between the tall close buildings at the end of the street, sending a stream of yellow light right down the street, illuminating everything in a hazy way and causing her eyes to squint. Hermione's mouth split into a puerile grin as she shielded her eyes from the sun.

He was sitting on the bench waiting for the bus. _Actually_ waiting for her, his shift had been long over. His hair looked like a golden crown in the sunlight, his tie draped around his shoulders and his eyes closed, leaning back tiredly. Hermione sat down silently next to him.

She smiled reservedly and asked, "When is the next bus then?"

"Ten minutes" he replied opening his eyes and smiling widely at her.

"Why did you wait so long, you could have gone back to the house ages ago" Hermione asked in incredulity.

"Why bother going back if you're not there. Most of those people are insufferable without you around. And I cannot stand the weasel" he said scrupulously.

"Understandable" Hermione nodded.

"Besides, I like this muggle mode of transit, it is more entertaining than apparition" he added "You get to people watch".

"Isn't it though" Hermione agreed.

"Plans tonight?"

She looked at him in surprise, and then smiled in a silly manner, "yes, grand plans. I was thinking of eating…doing some work, then waiting up for you tonight"

"Ah, if only it were just me" he muttered in reply.

Hermione snorted, "If only"

"Hey, what do you think about tomorrow night? Let us go out. Have some amusement of our own. We deserve it really" his eyebrow twitched enticingly, "It'll be a nice little outing before our next business meeting"

Hermione bit her bottom lip thoughtfully. It did sound terribly enticing, and every meeting with the deatheaters could be their last, so why not have a good time on the days in-between? She looked at him; he stared back at her expectantly. "What were you thinking?"

"A little outing…don't you worry about it. Just say yes" he smirked.

"I thought the yes was implied"

"Yeah, innit though"

* * *

Hermione opened the door slowly, peering into the empty foyer inside. There was nobody in the near vicinity, nobody primarily implying Mrs. Weasley. "Come on then" Draco whispered, prodding her inside.

She set her bag gently on the floor and walked over to the unusually shut dining room door, pressing her ear against the thick wood. There was low mumbling on the other side, a rather small and private discussion was occurring. Curious, Hermione quickly slipped down the steps to the kitchen, she pushed open the door to find it empty. Mrs. Weasley was not in the kitchen. Something was strange. But covered pots were sitting on the hop, and a delicious smell was wafting through the room, dinner had not yet been served. Hermione shut the door and walked back up the steps. Draco was hanging up his coat, but his eyes were fixed to the dining room door. He looked at her meaningfully.

"Hermione!" Ginny hissed from the stairs. She motioned with her hand abruptly, inviting them up. "_Come on then_" Hermione whispered, pulling Draco along. It was obvious they should not have been straggling around on the main floor.

"Dumbledore is in there with dad and Lupin…they're talking about something serious, he looked grimmer than usual when he arrived. They ushered the rest of us out of the kitchen and upstairs almost immediately, even mum. She was livid about it," Ginny explained leading the other two up the third flight towards the library. "Harry and I tried to sneak a listen with the extendable ears, but mum is prowling the whole house, checking every room for any secretive scheming. We cannot even talk in earnest without wondering if she will burst through the door. But let's wait it out in the library"

"Where's Ron?" Hermione asked curiously as they walked down the narrow hallway lined with glaring portraits to the library.

"He's not even home yet. No idea where he is. He should have finished at the ministry ages ago. I would not blame him if he decided to stay out. Keep away from mum. She's the only one in this house more barmy than him", Ginny tittered pushing open the door.

Inside the library, Harry was sitting at the furthest back table, his nose immersed in a rather large book. He looked up startled as they entered the room. "Oh, it's only you lot. They still chewing in the kitchen?"

"Yes, doesn't sound like they'll be done very quick" Ginny replied pulling out a chair to sit next to him.

Hermione sat herself down across from them, Draco sitting to her right. "What do you think they're conversing?" he asked interestedly.

Ginny glanced apprehensively at the door, "I haven't a clue. But whatever it is, it's bewildering, even for them"

"They were all pretty tightlipped when they entered the dining room"

"They all came in at the same time?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Yes, from who knows where. They all entered the house just about an hour ago. Somber from the moment they crossed the threshold" Harry added closing his book. "It's beyond frightening. Whenever Dumbledore looks unnerved, I feel like I should just jump off a bridge"

"Fair point. If we can't count on a calm Dumbledore, it must be dreadful, whatever it is" Draco sighed propping his chin on his fist.

"You think they will fill us in on it?" Hermione asked.

"Hard to say" Harry mumbled, scratching his face "Eventually. If it is something we need to know. But I cannot say for sure, with Dumbledore it is continuously unsystematic"

"Is it possibly to due with…Sunday?" Ginny suggested.

"What could it be? We do not even know the details, and we read the letter. Besides, I'd like to think we'd know everything about it" Hermione whispered.

"Agreed" Draco added.

"Maybe it's more tactical, but who can tell" Harry shrugged, "I have something more interesting to share with you lot…"

"THERE YOU ARE!"

The four at the table jumped violently, heads swiveling towards the door, where a huffing and red-faced Mrs. Weasley stood with fists on hips. "They're done downstairs, wash up and come down for dinner," she said glaring at them. Clearly suspecting some sneaky actions.

"Alright mum" Ginny said standing first and slipping out of the door past Mrs. Weasley.

Hermione exchanged glances with Harry, "tonight" she mouthed.


	17. Prodding

**Chapter 17: Prodding**

**A/N:** I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Dinner was a sordid sort of affair. The food was barely touched, and hardly anyone dared to look up from his or her plate. This was mostly due to Mrs. Weasley's angry glare directed at her doomed husband, the only of the three conspirators who was destined to remain for dinner. Ron had turned up halfway through the stew, with a stupid grin, a grin that had quickly been demolished by his mother's temper.

Hermione finished her meal, but remained in her seat. She did not want to call unnecessary attention to herself, even if she was not in the direct path of fury. She dared a glance upwards; Mrs. Weasley's hard stare was affixed to her right, at her husband. The rest of the Weasley's, as well as Harry and Draco were all staring at their empty plates. Somebody had to make the first move; otherwise they would be here all night.

Holding her plate tightly in her hands, Hermione swallowed down the fear and stood, "That was delicious" she said in a clear ringing tone that sounded absurd for the situation. Mrs. Weasley looked up at her curiously.

"There are cakes, you can take them into the drawing room if you children are done" she suggested casually.

In a split second, everyone was standing and talking animatedly, placing their plates in the skin and filing out of the kitchen. Hermione took the plate of cakes from the counter and made out the door. "You stay"

Hermione turned in surprise, but realized Mrs. Weasley was talking to Mr. Weasley, who was also attempting a getaway. Quickly Hermione slipped out. She entered the drawing room and exhaled in relief.

"Brutal that was" George whistled dropping into the chair nearest the fireplace.

"What was that about, blimey?" Ron moaned shutting the door behind Hermione. She placed the cakes onto a side table and glanced around the room, something was off.

"Want to sit here Hermione?" George asked patting his lap and wagging his brows.

"That's quite fine" Hermione replied walked over to the loveseat and squeezing herself in-between Draco and Ginny. She cast a look at Ron; he was glaring at his brother. Amusing.

"Where's Harry?" she asked suddenly, realizing what was off about the room.

Ginny's eyes widened as she looked around the room, "Where did he go?" she frowned "He was right behind me as we headed up the stairs…"

"He likely slipped up to the library" Draco suggested quietly.

"We don't have a chance," Ginny said pursing her lips, "Harry alone could slip away, but if we leave now we're bound to arise suspicion. There's no way we'll be able to shake Ron… and if mum realizes we're all gone…she'll force us to sleep on the floor under her bed, just to keep an eye on us"

"Then what? We wait here? Let's try and leave one by one" Hermione suggested, "Just casually, don't seem suspicious"

"Right" Ginny replied standing, "I'm leaving before mum makes me do the dishes," she said loudly rushing out the door. George and Ron looked at her fleeting form in amazement.

"She's got a point" George muttered, "If we stick around here, we're in mum's warpath"

"I'm gone" Draco sighed heaving himself up, and walking out the door.

"I'm going to scarper too. Before mum goes bloody mental in here" George grimaced getting up off the armchair, and grabbing a handful of cakes before exiting the drawing room.

"All valid points" Hermione said offhandedly getting off the sofa.

"Where are you going?" Ron asked nonchalantly.

"To my room. I have a lot of work to get through this weekend. It's swamped in my department," she said calmly.

"Right" Ron replied, just as emotionlessly "Don't suppose you're going to meet with the sycophantic knob"

"No. And what's it to you? I hardly need to report all of my plans to you Ron. Stop being such a git" she spluttered in return, unable to control her anger long enough to just get out of the room.

"Never said you did. Moreover, I am not the only git. I think your gigolo is the biggest tosspot in this house" he replied casually looking out the window, avoiding her gaze.

Hermione's eyes narrowed in resentment. If sheer will could have ignited him into flames, it would have by now, "You're just asking for an argument. However, I am not going to coddle you Ron. Get over it, I have moved on; I thought you had a long time ago. So don't get shirty with me, because you are barking mad if you think I'll play along"

"Alright, sorry then"

"Doesn't sound like you mean it"?

"I don't," he agreed. "I hate the ferret, I will just have to wait it out"

She looked at him interestedly, wondering what he could mean. Hermione's brain was telling her to abort the conversation; to not let herself be dragged into Ron's mental spew, but her common sense was overridden by her annoyance of not understanding what he meant "Wait out _what_?"

He looked at her in pleasant surprise, even grinning, "What? Don't you see Hermione? You two will not last another two weeks before your relationship detonates. It will never work between you two. You're as different as muggleborn, and pureblood…_which you are_"

Hermione scoffed folding her arms across her chest. "As different as you and I. So, do not lecture me Ron, because you know _so much_ about what it takes to make a relationship work. Thanks for the advice though. You should put it in a fortune cookie" she whispered viciously before turning and slamming the door behind her.

"Every time" she muttered angrily climbing the stairs "Every time I'm thoughtless enough to listen to him. I must be a total clown…"

"There you are, took you long enough" Draco whispered stepping out in front of her on the second landing, "What happened to you?"

"Long story" Hermione muttered pushing her hair out of her face. He smiled brightly at her and took her hand.

"Well, come on then, we're going to listen to Potter's brilliant theory. Which isn't likely to be as brilliant as he thinks it is"

* * *

Hermione pulled her knees up to her chest, leaning against the baseboard of Harry's bed patiently while he worked up the eloquence to present his point. Draco nudged her playfully, imitating Harry's screwed up face as he paced about in front of them.

"You'll wear a hole down in the carpet Harry" Ginny reprimanded from the sofa. Harry stopped abruptly.

"Do you think…the deatheaters are trying to bring Voldemort back to life" he asked.

Hermione's mouth dropped open.

"Harry, that's impossible" Ginny whispered in disgust.

"I've been looking into it" Harry sighed, leaning against the wall, "And, it is impossible to bring back a persons soul into a corporeal body. But…it says nothing of the mangled bit of Voldemort's soul"

The prospect was very uncomfortable; Hermione hated this kind of illusory dialogue the most. It was futile, and impossible.

"He's dead Harry" she reminded gently.

"Yes, but no…he's not Hermione" Harry sighed closing his eyes, "I saw the mangled piece of his soul left over. But it was in limbo…his soul is not strong enough to cross over"

"So, it can't be strong enough to cross this way either" Draco said, and with a glare from Hermione added "hypothetically"

"Not without help. A soul cannot travel backwards, but what about an eighth of a soul?"

"Pointless, trivial, we can't prove it" Hermione said in annoyance.

"You can't disprove it either"

"Then we're stuck" Ginny exclaimed, "We need to consider realistic possibilities Harry. If wizards haven't been able to figure out the riddles of death with centuries of study, how could a few bottom dwelling deatheaters know?"

"I didn't say they'd succeed" Harry muttered defensively, "I'm making the point that they may be playing in very dangerous territory, who knows what other trouble they could cause without even meaning to. Besides, don't you find the intensity of the orders involvement alarming…just for those bottom dwelling deatheaters?"

"Yeah, that has been on my mind" Draco acknowledges "It does seem peculiar, and worrisome, all this secrecy"

Hermione chewed her lip nervously. As ludicrous as everything Harry seemed to be saying way, this was apparent. The extremity with which the situation was being treated did not seem to fit with what they had been told. Clearly there were secrets being kept.

"So...kept in the dark again, are we?" Draco suggested.

"As per usual" Harry muttered in reply.


End file.
